Undertale: Chronicle - 5 - Nothing Lost, No One Blamed
by TheOriginalTale
Summary: The curious nature of a child can often lead to unimaginable adventures. Another installment in the Undertale: Chronicle AU.
1. A New World

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

**Hello everybody! As promised, here's the first chapter in a new story, and I do have exciting news. I am officially launching a massive Undertale AU that I am calling Undertale: Chronicle. This AU will cover not just a variant of the originally game, but thousands of years worth of history surrounding it as well. It's something I will no doubt be working on for months to come. The story Sole Sufferer is a part of the Chronicle universe, as is the one you are about to embark on now. I was unable to post a link to the wiki unfortunately (thanks FF). If you want to access it, search up "Undertale: Chronicle" on . Or alternatively, visit the Undertale AU Wiki page on the same site (I'm sure many of you have heard of it), and you will be able to find a link there as well. Please be advised, this wiki is far complete, and will be constantly updated as stories develop. This first chapter is a touch short, but soon they will be back to a more standard length. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Frisk squinted his eyes tight as pain throbbed in his head. Groaning, he shifted in the bed, putting a hand to his forehead. He suddenly frowned as he felt a bandage draped around his head, and his eyes shot open. The last thing he remembered was entering a small cavern on Mount Ebott. "_Am I back…"_ His thought was quickly answered. He definitely wasn't back in the small town near the mountain.

He started to sit up, then groaned as the pain in his head exploded. He slowly laid back down, then felt another dull ache coming from his left leg. He reached down under the blanket, and felt something hard over it. Looking under, he saw that somebody had wrapped his leg in a splint. He quickly looked over to the door as the doorknob turned, and the door swung open.

"Ah, my child! You are awake at last!" Frisk's eyes widened as he saw what greeted him. A goat looking creature, dressed in a bluish purple robe with a curious emblem on the front. The creature entered the room, gazing at Frisk sympathetically. Frisk rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was imagining things. He quickly realized that this was very much real.

"W...Who...what are you?" He queried.

The creature replied. "I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins. Every day I travel to the entrance to see if anybody has fallen down. You were quite lucky that I found you. You were conscious, but only barely, I do not expect you to remember."

Frisk slowly nodded, but was still confused. "Fallen...down?"

Toriel nodded. "From the surface above." Frisk's head began to hurt as he began to recall the last of his memories. Entering the cave, the roots covering the ground, a lurch at his foot, the sudden fall into the depths of the caverns below. Then blackness.

"Where am I?"

Toriel clasped her hands in front of her. "You are in my home. After I found you, I carried you back here. I healed you as best as I could, though some wounds will take time. You had a very deep cut on your head, as well as a dislocated leg. I managed to heal your more minor scrapes and bruises."

Frisk rubbed at the bandage as the pieces slowly began to click together. "So...you're...a monster?"

Toriel's smile never wavered. "I suppose I am, yes." Frisk gazed at her curiously. He had heard of monsters before, but he had never expected they would look like her. Toriel sighed.

"You should get some rest. Your leg will need time to heal." She turned around and began to leave, but Frisk stopped her.

"Wait! You're not going to...kill me, are you?"

Toriel looked shocked at the prospect. "Heavens, no my child! What on earth put that idea into your mind?"

Frisk shrugged and mumbled. "I don't know, guess our history class…"

Toriel closed her eyes and shook her head, though there was a smile on her face. She turned away, and left Frisk alone, and mystified in the room.

* * *

When Frisk awoke, he could smell what he thought was french toast from beyond the closed door to the bedroom. He sat up, grateful when he felt no pain in his head. He gazed around the room curiously. Right beside the bed was a dresser, and beyond that a small row of shelves. From where he sat he could just make out that there appeared to be model toys sitting in rows. He could also spy a picture frame, but he also noticed it looked somewhat dusty, and was empty.

He looked to the door as Toriel opened it, walking in. She was carrying a tray with a plate of French Toast, and a glass of water on it.

"I imagine you would be hungry after what you have been through." She remarked, setting the tray down with Frisk. Frisk nodded at Toriel, speaking quietly.

"Thanks…"

He ate in silence as Toriel pulled a chair from a small table to sit beside the bed. Toriel was the one to break the silence.

"You do not trust me yet, do you?"

Frisk glanced up. "I guess I'm just a little...I don't know...weirded out. I've...never met a monster before. I thought you were all gone."

Toriel tipped her head curiously. "Oh? So you have heard of us?"

Frisk nodded. "Yeah. They teach us about you in history class. There was a big war that the monsters started, and we fought back to defend ourselves. We trapped you underneath this mountain and...well, we thought you had all starved to death."

Toriel giggled, but Frisk noticed there was a flash of pain in her eyes at the mention of the war.

"Well, I can assure you we are very much alive."

Frisk chuckled. "I can see that. You know, for a monster, you look a lot nicer than I thought you would."

Toriel sighed. "You can not believe everything that is taught, my child. I never happened to get your name?"

Frisk nearly hit himself in the head for forgetting to introduce himself. "Oh, Right! My name's Frisk."

"Frisk." Toriel smiled warmly. "It is a lovely name."

Frisk returned the smile, already beginning to warm up to Toriel. "How long will it take until I'm better?"

Toriel thought for a moment. "I would say close to two or three weeks to heal fully, but you should be able to walk on your own in just over a week."

Frisk nodded. "So...I'm going to be here for a while then, huh."

Toriel sighed. "It would appear so. If you would like, I can give you a tour of Home?"

Frisk replied. "Yeah, that'd be nice." As he sat up, he started to maneuver his legs over the side of the bed, then looked down at the cast. Toriel suddenly realized.

"Oh! My dearest apologies, I completely forgot!"

Frisk thought of an idea. "Maybe if I rode on your shoulder?"

Toriel giggled. "If you are feeling up for it!" At Frisk's nod Toriel lifted him up, setting him on her shoulder, taking care to watch for the cast. Frisk ducked his head as she carried him through the doorway. She turned right, down the hall walking to a larger room. A bookcase sat in a corner, right next to a softly crackling fireplace. A large recliner sat in front of it.

"This is the living room. You can feel free to read whatever you would like from my collection. I do apologize if there is nothing that you enjoy, I do not tend to get visitors very frequently, much less one as young as you."

Frisk nodded. "It's alright!" He peered into the adjoining room which he found could be nothing but the kitchen, spotting the fridge and sink beside each other.

"It's pretty cozy here." He commented.

"Is it not?" Toriel replied. As she began to return him to his room, he spotted a staircase leading down to a lower floor, and he pointed.

"Hey, what's down there?"

Toriel followed his finger, then shook her head. "Nothing of importance. I do request that you do not go down there, it is not safe for a child, especially one in your condition."

Frisk frowned, but decided not to question it further. She was already being nicer than he ever imagined. As they walked back into Frisk's room, Frisk thought of something.

"What's going to happen with my leg? Will I be able to walk again?"

Toriel thought for a moment. "I managed to use my healing magic to cure much of the wound, the cast is there to simply hold the bone in place while it is still fragile. I suppose you should be walking around in a week or so. Now, is there anything I can get you? I want to make sure you are as comfortable as you can be."

Frisk thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Mm, no I think I'm fine. Thanks Ms. Toriel!"

Toriel giggled again. "Please, just Toriel is fine my child." She turned around and once more left the room. Frisk stared up at the ceiling and found himself having a conversation with himself.

"_This isn't possible...is it? The monsters all died! And one that's this nice?! It has to be a dream."_ He winced as his leg flared in pain. This was certainly not a dream. He shook his head. "_What is going on around here?"_ Before he found the answer, he once more drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A head popped out of the ground outside Toriel's home, its eyes glaring at the cozy residence. Through the window, the flower watched as Toriel moved around the house, the human on her shoulder. The flower's eyes narrowed.

"So...another human huh?" He muttered to himself. "This will be...rather...interesting…" With a gleeful giggle, the flower burrowed back into the ground, disappearing from sight.


	2. New Friends In New Places

Frisk's footsteps gave off soft echoes around the corridors of the ruins. He gazed around at the walls, his shadow dancing along the wall with the flames burning on the torches lining the walls. He didn't fully understand how the torches didn't ever burn out, only that it had something to do with Toriel's magic.

It had been nearly three weeks since Frisk had fallen down into the Underground. His leg had fully healed just a few days ago. Ever since, he had been busy exploring the rest of the Ruins. Toriel had shown him around the main chambers the week prior, going into great detail about the traps laying around, and how to avoid them, or solve any puzzles that might arise.

He had taken a liking to the caretaker, and several of the other monsters in the Underground. There weren't a great many, but the ones he did come across were quite friendly. He looked up as movement distracted him, and soon a lonesome Whimsum fluttered into view.

"Oh, hello again!" Frisk called out gently. He was already aware of the shy tendencies the monster had, and wanted to make sure not to startle it. The Whimsum drifted closer and spoke timidly.

"H-Hello human! Out f-for another walk?"

Frisk nodded with a smile. "Mhm. It's a really cool place!"

The monster followed him at his side, looking around. "I-If you say so...p-p-personally I feel l-like it could use s-some brightening up e-e-every now and then…"

Frisk looked around, nodding in agreement. "It is a little dark in a few places."

The whimsum let out another squeak. "I-I need to go!"

"Alright, see you-" Frisk was unable to finish his farewell before the monster fluttered away. "...later." He finished, now speaking to the air. Sighing he continued on, adjusting in the light green shirt. When he had originally climbed the mountain, he hadn't ever expected he would fall in, much less stay for an extended time. As such, Toriel had been more than happy to lend him some spare clothes she had in the house. Conveniently, most of them were Frisk's size.

He had asked her why she had childrens clothes in her house if she lived alone, but she had never given him an answer. This was not entirely uncommon. There were some questions that Toriel might respond with, "Perhaps another time." Or, "It's too complicated to explain." Some she would just ignore were even asked. Still, she had been nice enough to provide him with a warm bed, delicious food, and fresh clothing. He hadn't tried to push his luck.

A lonely light in a side room caught his eye. He retraced his steps and stepped into the smaller room, looking around the room. It was entirely empty, though pictures and symbols were engraved on the walls. The light flickered from a single torch, one sitting just below one of the largest pictures. He tilted his head curiously as he stared at it.

The picture was a strange beast, one that looked to be half human, and half monster. Wings spread from the creatures back. In one hand was a ball of fire, and the other a long sword. Ancient writing covered the walls around the picture, though it was nothing that Frisk recognized.

"Hey!" Frisk shrieked, jumping out of his skin as a voice piped up. He whipped around, but saw no-one.

"Hey you!" The voice spoke again. Frisk called out into the darkness, unable to find the source. "Hello?"

The voice replied. "Down here." Frisk looked down and frowned as he saw a flower staring back at him.

"Oh!" Frisk exclaimed. "Uh, hi!"

The flowey smiled broadly. "Howdy! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya. I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!"

Frisk scratched his head. "_This place is getting weirder all the time…"_ He thought. Recalling his manners, Frisk greeted the friendly flora. "Nice to meet you, uh, Flowey. Uh...where did you come from?" He didn't recall seeing a flower when he entered the room. The flower tilted his head as if it was a stupid question.

"I burrowed here! Obviously."

Frisk mumbled and nodded, crouching down to get closer. "Uh...yeah...right."

Flowey giggled. "You look so confused. You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha? I don't think I've seen you before."

Frisk nodded. "Yeah, I accidentally fell down from the surface."

Flowey blinked. "Oh, that sounds like it was quite a fall! So you just got here then?"

Frisk shook his head. "Not exactly. I was found by a monster named Toriel. She's been taking care of me for a couple of weeks."

Something seemed to click in Flowey. "Oh, you've met Toriel!"

Now it was Frisk's turn to tilt his head. "You know her too?"

"Oh yeah!" Flowey proclaimed matter of factly. "Everybody around here knows her. She's the one that keeps the Ruins maintained after all! Ya know, we haven't had a human fall down here in a long time!"

Frisk's eyes widened with surprise. "There are others? Where are they?"

Flowey seemed to be imitating an apologetic shrug. "Yeah there were others, but I dunno where they went. I know some of the humans came through so long ago they'd probably have died of age by now. Sorry kiddo. So uh, are you living here now?"

Frisk shrugged. "I guess I am for now. Though I was going to try and find a way to climb back up to the surface. My friends are waiting for me up there, I bet they're worried!"

Flowey shook his head. "Nuh uh. Forget it. Nobody climbs back up the way they fell. It's impossible. The only way you can get back would be to get through the rest of the Underground. I dunno if Toriel would like that though."

Frisk frowned. "Why wouldn't she? She knows I don't belong here, surely."

Flowey rolled his eyes. "She just doesn't seem that keen on really letting anything leave the Ruins. Nobody knows why. Then again, most of us are fine with staying where we are so we don't complain."

Flowey then peered around Frisk. "Wacha looking at there?"

Frisk moved out of the way, revealing the weird imagery of the beast on the wall. "This weird picture. Do you know what the writing says?"

Flowey suddenly dove head-first into the ground, then re-appeared right next to the wall, gazing up at it. He grunted as he stared hard at the symbols, then shook his head.

"Nope, not a clue. Sorry pal."

Frisk sighed. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing important. I better be getting back to Toriel, she's going to be getting worried about me soon."

Flowey waved with one of his leaves. "Alrighty! See you around, new friend!"

Frisk waved goodbye, then left the peculiar room. Still puzzled by his sudden appearance, Frisk returned back to the cozy home at the edge of the Ruins. He opened the door, walking inside and turned left towards the kitchen. Toriel was just finishing removing a pot pie from the oven. She smiled as she saw him.

"Ah, hello my child! Did you have fun exploring?"

Frisk nodded. "Yeah! I found this really weird room with a lot of weird symbols. It had a weird looking monster on the wall. Do you know what that means?"

Toriel giggled. "I highly doubt it. Much of the texts in this room are beyond ancient, written over a thousand years ago!"

Frisk whistled. "Wow, this place is older than I thought. Oh, I saw a new monster today! At least, I think he was a monster."

Toriel was instantly curious. "Oh?"

Frisk nodded. "Yeah. His name's Flowey. He's some kind of flower creature."

He noticed Toriel take a somewhat long pause. "I...see."

Frisk tipped his head. "Is something wrong?"

Toriel shook her head, turning around. "No, no. This, Flowey that you speak of. From what I have seen of him, he can be a rather...interesting character. I do not believe he is a good influence for you."

Frisk was confused. "He seemed so nice! We had a pretty good conversation."

Toriel sighed. "I understand this. Just...be mindful of him, okay? I am not sure how I feel about him."

He nodded slowly. "Oh...alright…"

As he turned around, Toriel called after him. "Dinner will be in just a few minutes!"

Fisk flashed a thumbs up over his shoulder. As he was heading back to his room though, his eyes drifted to the staircase. He had never gone down there, as Toriel had mentioned that there was nothing interesting. Still, curiosity got the better of him. He slowly began to descend the staircase.

As he reached the bottom, he was greeted with a long hall, torches more spread out along the walls than in the normal chambers. He slowly began to walk down. Frisk couldn't get the feeling that there was something pulling him towards the end. He was so absorbed in what he was doing, that he barely heard the movement behind him. He once more shrieked when Toriel tapped him on his shoulder. As he spun around, he felt himself go numb for a brief second at her stern look.

"It is not safe for you to play down here. Please return upstairs." Frisk gulped and nodded, hurrying past her to get back to the stairs. As he reached them, he glanced back at Toriel, watching as she continued to stare down the tunnel. With another shiver, he climbed up the stairs, leaving her alone.


	3. Into the Unknown

He was floating. No matter where he looked, there was nothing but blackness. He could almost hear the echo of complete silence. He tried to speak, but no sound would come from his mouth. Occasionally a small whisper would appear, but then immediately recede. He shivered as he felt himself being watched. By what, he couldn't know. He tried calling again.

"Is anybody there?!" But the words, despite his yell, made no sound in the still. Then a new sound replaced it. It almost sounded like static from a television, but there was an insistent pattern to the distortion. It began to grow steadily louder, as though it was trying to speak to him. He squinted his eyes, thinking he spotted movement in the shadow. Then, the static faded, replaced by another voice. The voice was also distorted, and dark.

"Hiya!" Two blood red, glowing eyes appeared. "I'm Flowey!"

Frisk's eyes shot open as he gasped, staring up at the ceiling of his room. He sat up, his heart pounding against his ribcage. He whispered to himself.

"It was just a dream…" It didn't feel like a dream though. "_That felt like…"_ He found himself unable to explain just what it was that he experienced. He slid out of bed with a yawn, grabbing a shirt from the small closet. He gazed at it, in particular at a small crest on the front of the shirt.

"Huh, that's kinda cool…" He mumbled to himself before pulling the shirt. He wandered to the living room, finding Toriel humming to herself while reading a book.

"Toriel?" Frisk queried. She looked up with a grin through her glasses.

"Ah, you are awake early this morning."

Frisk shrugged."I guess… Hey, my leg is feeling much better now, and I just wanted to say thanks for taking care of me."

Toriel giggled. "Why, it was my pleasure, my child!"

Frisk then asked. "Uh...I was wondering when can I go home?"

Toriel blinked once, remaining silent before stammering. "B-But...my child, this _is_ your home!"

Frisk sighed. "I...I wish I could stay, I really do. You've been nicer to me than...well just about anybody. But...I've got friends on the surface, they're going to be worried sick about me! I just can't stay."

Toriel's smile faded solemnly, her voice suddenly growing to a much more serious tone Frisk hadn't heard out of her before as she closed the book.

"My child...if you leave these ruins...you likely will not see the surface ever again. If you leave...you will surely be killed."

Frisk felt a shiver run down his spine. "What are you talking about?"

Toriel walked to the kitchen table, taking a firm seat. Frisk sat across from her. "The other monsters...Asgore...would surely kill you. I have seen it time, and time again."

Frisk frowned. "You...have?"

Toriel nodded. "You are not the first child to fall down here. In fact, there have been six before you. All of them came. All have left. All have died. It is foolish to even try to fight that...that beast. He feels nothing but hatred for your kind."

Frisk's eyes widened. It was rumored that those that came to the mountain never came back. Frisk had at first thought it was just an urban legend, now understanding how badly mistaken he was. But, he wouldn't give in.

"I have to try. All I know is that I can't stay here."

"I...I understand." She closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. "You would probably just be unhappy here. The ruins are quite small once you get used to them. At least allow me to give you a few things before you go?"

Frisk nodded. "Yeah, sure. Thanks." He followed Toriel to the kitchen, rocking back and forth on his heels, watching as she made a sandwich, packing both it and a few vegetables into a paper bag. She left the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a small backpack that she put the meal into, zipping it closed.

"I put some extra money into the bag as well just in case you need it along the way. Come, I have a jacket you might want to wear, it can become chilly."

Frisk took the backpack, following Toriel as she walked to another closet, pulling out a small jacket, helping him to put it on before he slung the backpack over his shoulders. Toriel guided him towards the stairs, leading down into the tunnel below. Frisk gazed around at the dim walls around him as she led him further and further down the tunnel, their footsteps echoing down the passageway. They rounded a bend, and a large door loomed in front of them both. Toriel gazed longingly at it.

"This is the door that will lead into the rest of the Underground. Just keep following the path west and you will reach the end, where you will be able to pass through back to the surface. It is a long journey, I recommend that you take some time to rest when you are halfway there. If you do this, you should be back on the surface by tomorrow afternoon."

Frisk pulled the backpack tighter against his back, nodding. "Thanks, Toriel. For everything." Toriel turned around to face him, kneeling down, holding her arms out. Frisk embraced her, and he noticed Toriel was reluctant to let him go. When she did, her voice shook slightly.

"Be… Be good my child." With this, she walked back down the hall, leaving Frisk gazing at the door. Before he could work up the courage to walk through, he jumped as a voice spoke from behind him.

"Heya, new friend!" Frisk spun around, looking down at Flowey, who was still flashing his cheeky grin. Frisk groaned.

"Don't scare me like that, Flowey."

Flowey giggled. "Your reaction is priceless though! So… you're leaving the ruins huh?"

Frisk glanced over his shoulder to the door. "I… I guess I am."

As he turned back, he could have sworn Flowey hiding a scowl, but he shook his head. Must have been his imagination. Flowey sighed.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing ya around then. Just warning ya now though buddy, sometimes it's worth to just take what you've been given. Don't bite off more than you can chew, alright?"

Frisk frowned as Flowey turned away. "What does that mean?"

Flowey began to burrow underground. "You'll figure it out!" Frisk stared at the ground where the flower disappeared. "Weird…" He mumbled to himself, before turning around, pushing the door open. He was immediately hit with a rush of cold air as he stepped out into snow. The door swung shut behind him, and Frisk gazed around in amazement.

"Snow? And trees? Here?" The forest loomed high over his head, the snow crunching softly beneath his feet. He was grateful now of Toriel giving him the jacket, and he zipped it halfway up, burying his hands in its pockets. He set off, wandering down the trail just barely visible beneath the white blanket.

"_The Underground must be massive if it includes a whole forest inside it…"_ Frisk breathed out, still stunned by his surroundings. Soon the door was lost behind him as he pressed on along the path. Nearly half an hour passed as he continued to move on, almost convinced he was moving around in a circle.

Finally he could see a bridge with a weird looking gate in front of it. He began to approach it, then suddenly froze as he heard a stick snap from somewhere in the trees. He whipped around.

"Who's there?!" He was greeted with only a small gust of wind through the trees. Once more he began talking to himself. "Must have just been a branch breaking…" He began to continue on, but was feeling more uneasy with every step. Then movement flashed at the edge of his vision and he spun around again, glaring where he had seen it.

"Hey! I know you're watching me! Well… you better cut it out!" Satisfied, he turned back down the trail and found himself face-to-face with a skeleton. Letting out a startled shriek, Frisk stumbled back and tripped, falling over onto his back. The snow cushioned his landing. The lights acting as the skeleton's eyes sparked as if he were amused, a big grin plastered on his face. The skeleton wore black shorts and a blue hoodie, hands tucked away in pockets. He held one out.

"C'mon now, don't you know how to greet a new pal? Let's shake hands, buddy." Frisk got up, cautiously reaching a hand out for the skeleton's mitten. As he squeezed it, he heard a strange, yet familiar sound come from inside the glove. The skeleton snickered, and doubled over with laughter.

"Oh! Oh the old whoopie cushion in the hand trick! Ahh, works every time. Ohhhh boy. Anyways, hey. I'm Sans, Sans the skeleton."

Frisk, now utterly confused, slowly nodded. "Frisk. Nice to meet you uh, Sans. Uh...what're you doing all the way out here?" He asked, having not seen any signs of people living anywhere close to here.

Sans explained: "I'm a sentry. I'm supposed to guard this forest for, uh, humans. Like you. But don'tcha worry, I really don't care about hunting humans. Now, my _brother_, Papyrus, on the other hand, he's a human hunting fanatic."

The answer only brought up more questions. "Wait, human hunting? Why would he want to hunt me? I haven't done anything wrong."

Sans shrugged. "Eh, bit of a long story kiddo." As Sans answered the question, Frisk noticed his eyes glance at the shirt. Immediately the playful look in his eyesockets disappeared and he slowly looked back up at Frisk, who took a step back, feeling nervous.

"Er… is… is something wrong?"

The lights in Sans's eyes disappeared, and Frisk practically felt the air grow colder around them. In a flash he reached out, grabbing Frisk by the jacket, pulling him off the trail.

"Hey! What gives?!" Frisk grunted, trying to struggle. Despite being the same size, Sans had a surprisingly firm grip. Once they were out of view from the trail, Sans shoved Frisk back against a tree, his smile still present despite the lights being gone from his eyes.

"Where did you get that shirt?"

Frisk grunted as he was held against the tree. "Why does it matter?!"

Sans let go of the jacket, and waved one of his gloved hands. A bone appeared in the air, one end sharpened into a deadly point. It dove forward, stopping suddenly just before it could impale Frisk to the tree, pointing at the crest.

"That symbol on your shirt is the emblem of the royal family. There is no way a human like you would just 'have' something like that lying around. Even most monsters don't have clothing with that emblem on it. So, that means one of two things. Either A, you stole it off of another monster, or B, you killed one for it. So, which is it 'kid'?"

Frisk found himself holding his breath as the tip of the bone pressed against his chest. "I got it from Toriel, the monster in the ruins!"

He noticed Sans twitch, and the bone disappeared. The lights in the skeleton's eyes returned.

"What did you say?"

Frisk repeated slowly. "T-Toriel? The monster in the ruins?"

Sans shook his head. "That's...not possible."

Frisk was confused. "What do you mean?"

Sans didn't answer the question. "Follow me." He immediately turned around, beginning to walk quickly back to the trail in the opposite direction. Frisk stood still, dumbfounded before running to catch up to Sans, walking away from the bridge.


	4. Confrontation

Frisk rejoined the main pathway, struggling to keep up with Sans, who was walking surprisingly fast considering his size.

"Hey!" Frisk began talking as he caught up. "What was that all about? Where are you going?" Sans never answered him, staring straight ahead. Frisk still found it creepy how his smile never wavered, yet somehow he was still able to distinguish what the skeleton was feeling. Eventually the door leading back to the ruins came back into sight. Frisk stood just behind Sans as he reached up, banging on the door twice. "Knock, knock!"

There was silence from the other end, but soon a muffled voice called back, Frisk instantly recognizing it.

"Who is there?"

Sans answered. "It's me, Sans. We need to talk."

Toriel's voice sounded confused. "Oh? What about Sans?"

Sans's voice was grim. "About where you've been all these years. Is that really you, Toriel?"

An eery quiet fell for several long seconds, before the door was opened up to reveal her standing straight. She blinked in surprise when she saw Frisk. Sans took a step back, his eyesockets widening in shock.

"I...I don't believe it! It's really you!"

Toriel nodded solemnly. "Yes. It really is me."

Sans shook his head. "How did I not recognize the voice?"

Toriel sighed. "How did you figure it out?"

Frisk raised his hand apologetically. "I might have told him. In my defense he was…'curious' to where I got the shirt from, since it's got this weird crest on it." He showed her the emblem and she slapped her forehead.

"Oh! I never noticed it!"

Sans grunted. "You've got some _serious_ explaining 'your highness.'"

She groaned. "Please Sansy, not right now…"

Frisk was taken aback. "Wait, your highness?"

The skeleton nodded. "Lady Toriel, queen of the Underground alongside Asgore Dreemurr. She disappeared a long time ago, and was assumed to be dead. Apparently...she's been 'chilling' out here this whole time."

Toriel giggled at the bad pun. "Indeed."

Frisk was now amazed. "Why are you here though? Why did you leave?"

She glanced at Sans before answering. "That is a question to be answered at a different time." Frisk was now getting somewhat annoyed, but knowing that she was a queen, he didn't want to risk angering her. So, he dropped the subject. Sans then spoke.

"Hey, why don't you come back with us?"

Toriel shook her head, an embarrassed look on her face. "No, no I really shouldn't. The people believe that I am dead, it might be best if it stayed that way."

Sans continued to persist. "Well...how about at least back to Snowdin Village? I can get us there with a shortcut, nobody would see us, and it's easier to talk back there too."

Toriel bit her lip, giving it careful consideration before nodding. "Very well." Sans took Toriel and Frisk's hands. Frisk blinked, but all of a sudden he found himself standing inside of a house. He stumbled back, immediately disoriented by the change in scenery. Toriel giggled, reaching out to catch Frisk from falling, while Sans chuckled.

"You get used to it, kid."

Immediately, the front door was flung open and a much taller skeleton walked in, looking crossly to Sans.

"_SANS! _I was correct! You never left the house! You're such a lazybones!"

The skeleton's eyes snapped left, zeroing in on Frisk. The skeleton put his hands to his cheekbones, letting out a loud gasp.

"Sans! Is...Is that...a human?!"

Sans nodded. "Yep, sure is bro. Hey Frisk, this is my brother Papyrus. Paps, this is Frisk, he's a friend."

Papyrus was practically bouncing with glee as he approached Frisk, beginning to roughly shake his hand. "Wowie! It is such a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

Almost immediately after he noticed Toriel, who giggled at his reaction. Papyrus jumped again, letting out an even bigger gasp.

"Sans! Look who it is! It is Lady Toriel Dreemurr, _in our house!_ Goodness your majesty, everybody has been so worried about you!" Frisk couldn't help but snicker at Papyrus's reaction. The skeleton huffed.

"Well! I will make some of my Welcoming Spaghetti! I am sure you will like it human! Your majesty." He bounced off to the kitchen and Sans leaned over to Frisk.

"If you value your life, you won't eat that spaghetti. Just trust me. Might want to get outta here."

Frisk chuckled. "Alright, if you say so."

Sans called after him. "Hey I'll catch up with you!"

Before Frisk could leave though, he was stopped by Papyrus re-entering the room, apparently having already made his batch of spaghetti. He walked past them, setting it down on the kitchen table.

"Shall we feast?" Frisk looked to Sans who shrugged. Toriel answered for the three of them. "I suppose we shall!" The four of them sat down around the table, and Papyrus eagerly served each of them a plateful. Frisk gazed down at it, unable to see just what Sans was so concerned about, the pasta looked fairly normal. As he took a bite though, he was enveloped in the rather...unusual taste. He managed to cough it down, and noticed Sans trying to hold back his laughter at Toriel's similar reaction. Papyrus gazed around the table hopefully.

"Is it good? I do apologize I was not expecting guests!"

Frisk cleared his throat. Seeing Papyrus looking so cheerful, he didn't want to bring him down. "It's...unique."

Toriel nodded in agreement. Papyrus seemed to light up twice as bright.

"Wowie! Nobody has ever said such a thing about my cooking! The Great Papyrus _humbly_ accepts your warm compliments, human. Now, I am afraid I will need to capture you now."

Frisk nearly choked, suddenly remembering what Sans had said about his brother being a human hunter. He immediately stood up from the table as Papyrus moved towards him. Toriel held out a hand to stop him.

"Papyrus, if you could just wait one moment?" Papyrus froze, looking questioningly to Toriel, who tried to reason with him.

"The human Frisk is your friend! Is he not?"

Papyrus frowned. "Well, I suppose so. Why?"

Frisk looked to Toriel as well as she replied calmly. "Why would you capture your friend?"

Papyrus spoke matter-of-factly. "Why, he is a human of course! And all human activities need to be reported, and the human in question must be captured as soon as possible! It is the rules."

Toriel tipped her head. "But, if you are capturing him...then you two are not really friends, are you?"

Papyrus slowly looked back to Frisk, then down at the floor. He could practically hear the gears inside the skeleton's head grinding away as he desperately tried to process the prospect. Suddenly it seemed to click and he pressed his hands again to his cheeks.

"Oh dearie me, how true! Well, human, I suppose I do not have to capture you. We can instead be...friends." He held out his arms and quickly locked Frisk in a friendly embrace, causing him to grunt. Then, Papyrus got another worried look, looking up to Toriel.

"But, I am supposed to report back to Undyne about human activity! She would not be pleased if she discovered I was hiding information of this caliber from her."

Toriel replied. "Well, it is also important to obey the queen. In terms of authority, I do outrank her, meaning you are supposed to place my order first. Do you think you can keep information of our friend a secret? If you must report something, perhaps spin the truth a little bit. Normally I do not condone lying, but such a scenario can be delicate, and as such I will make an exception for it. Can you handle this for me?"

Papyrus was hesitant, but eventually nodded. "Mmmh...okay your majesty...if you insist."

Toriel beamed. "Lovely! You would make a fine member of the guard." Papyrus shone at the praise, then bounded off to the kitchen with the pot to clean up. Sans leaned back in his chair, nodding at Frisk.

"You better get going kid. I'll take a nap and catch up with you."

Frisk nearly doubled over when he heard Papyrus call from the kitchen. "Sans if I find you sleeping so help me I will personally dump snow on you to wake you up!"

Frisk responded, still chuckling. "Alright...Alright, sounds good. I'll see you guys around!" With this, Frisk began to leave, but paused when he heard Sans beginning to speak to Toriel in a hushed manner. Frisk hid around the corner, listening in.

"Come on Tori, what do you mean you can't come with us?"

Toriel responded. "You and I both know how this will end. I, frankly, do not want to be around when it happens. He is not the monster I loved. Not anymore."

Sans groaned. "Well, maybe you can reason with him! If anybody will be able to get through to him, it'd be you!"

Toriel sighed. "He is impossible to talk to. He has made it very clear what he intends to do, and I know him well enough to know that I will not be able to talk him out of it. Just...keep watch over the child. Please? If you see any way to get him out of here without needless death...I want you to make sure it happens. But, he simply can not be allowed to face Asgore."

Sans grunted. "Alright...alright...I'll see what I can do...Hey, you haven't by any chance seen a flower going around, have you?."

Toriel sounded confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Sans was silent, then discarded the question. "Nevermind, forget I asked. I'll...see you around I guess."

Toriel's voice was tired in her response. "Understood. Thank you for doing this, my friend." Frisk had heard everything he needed to hear, and he stepped out of the front door. He found himself in a small pleasant village. He was surprised by how little people seemed to notice his presence, though he didn't complain. He quickly turned left, starting to exit the town. Time began to creep along as his steps took him further and further from the town.

It took only an hour before the snow began to turn to slush, quickly fading to a dirt pathway leading through tall grass. Around him small ledges and cliffs began to rise, the occasional puddle of mud came across his path. Twenty minutes later he came to a patch of particularly overgrown grass. Seeing no way past it, Frisk began to push through, then paused as he heard a rock clatter down the cliffside. He stooped low and looked up at the cliff above him.

There stood a figure clad in black armour, a red ribbon and orange cape flowing behind it. The figure's face had a bone chilling design. Frisk tried to keep his breathing low as he began to creep through the grass. The figure was almost motionless, and sometimes he'd look up to check if it was even truly alive. The rattling of bones could be heard, and he then overheard Papyrus speaking to the figure.

"Hello Undyne, I'm here with my report."

The voice inside the helmet was muffled, but it sounded terrifying and deep nonetheless. "Anything of note?"

Frisk heard Papyrus's hesitation. "Well...there...there was a human that I saw coming through Snowdin…"

"Did you fight it?"

Papyrus shook his head. "I...no. No I didn't. I-I wasn't able to get close enough. I did keep an eye on it, and spotted it going to Waterfall. It didn't come along this path though. I-I believe the human took a different route."

Frisk glanced up, noticing the helmet turning to face Papyrus, as though studying him. The figure then grunted. "I suppose it's better than nothing. I'll check it out momentarily. Dismissed."

Papyrus nodded. "Yes Undyne, thank you." He quickly scurried away. Expecting the figure to move away, Frisk began to inch forward. However as he crawled, his hand landed on a small twig, causing it to snap. The figure's gaze immediately shot down towards the grass. Frisk flattened himself, feeling his heart pounding. The figure reached out an arm, and a glowing blue spear appeared in its hand. Frisk thought he heard a growl as it scanned the brush intently, the spear poised.

Suddenly the figure lashed out and the spear slammed into the grass, hardly an inch away from Frisk's ear. He clamped a hand over his mouth, just barely keeping in his startled gasp. From above, the figure backed away, slowly fading into the shadows. Frisk finally released the breath he was holding in, though he kept flat to the ground until he was out of the brush. But before he could walk away, footsteps sounded from behind him and another monster ran out. The monster had an excited look in his eyes, though Frisk noticed he didn't have any arms. When he spoke, he realized this was a child.

"Did you see her?! That...was..._AWESOME!_" The monster kid turned to him excitedly. "You saw her, right? Right?!" Frisk nodded, surprised at the reaction.

"Yeah, I saw her...who...who was she?"

The monster kid gawked at him. "You don't know who Undyne is?! She's captain of the Royal Guard! And she's _super_ cool! Come on! Maybe we'll see more of her up ahead!"

The monster kid ran off, tripping over his own feet as he ran though, landing on his face. He immediately sprung up with a quick "I'm okay!" before sprinting off. Frisk glanced back up to the cliffside before continuing on, hoping that he wouldn't be running into her again.


	5. A Grey Door

The marshlands continued to stretch on almost endlessly as Frisk continued his way down the dirt path. It had become a habit to constantly check the cliffs scattered around the region for any sign of the ominous figure. The distant rumble of water could be heard in the distance as he continued along the trail. The only light came from mysterious mushrooms and plants on the cavern floor, giving off a soft blue light which seemed to pulse from them.

The trail soon led him to a small gap in the wall of a cliff, a sign pinned up beside it. Frisk was just able to make out the writing: "Wishing Room." Intrigued, Frisk stepped inside, and froze in awe. The ceiling of the cavern was slightly lower here, and above Frisk could see glittering stones gleaming in the roof of the cave, acting like stars. He didn't want to talk here. It somehow felt...wrong. He could tell this was a very solemn place.

"Quite something, isn't it?" Frisk jumped again as Sans's voice spoke from right behind him. He spun around, growing cross.

"What is it with you monsters and wanting to scare the daylights out of me?!"

Sans didn't chuckle, but Frisk heard his words continuing to softly repeat. Sans glanced down at one of the blue flowers on the ground, and Frisk realized it was coming from there. Sans explained.

"An echo flower. Waterfall is full of 'em. They repeat the last thing they hear over and over. Up on the surface it was a tradition to wish upon a star. If you wished hard enough, your wish would come true. Now though, we've just got these glowing rocks."

Frisk understood now the solemn tone of the room, though he still didn't speak. Sans jerked his head to the far end. Frisk took one final glance up at the stars before following the skeleton to the other end, through another gap in the cavern, now back out in the open marshes. Soon after, Frisk saw more writing along the sides of the cliffs. He slowed down to slowly read through them.

"The War Between Humans And Monsters. Why did the humans attack? Indeed it would seem we had done nothing to harm them. Perhaps they did not need a reason. Perhaps they did not think. After all, a species capable of such horrors would not think in their actions."

A revelation clicked in Frisk's head. "This is about The War For Humanity!" It was the war he had learned about in school, the only time where humans and monsters had fought against each other. He continued reading.

"The humans struck suddenly, and without mercy. Thousands of lives lost in just the first hours. But the humans continued to strike. They craved the blood and dust that spilled in battle. They did not matter how young or how old, male or female. To surrender was pointless, we were slaughtered regardless."

"It could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Countless monsters were turned to dust. Whole families were torn apart at the seams. Our homes were burned to the ground. Our leaders struck down trying to defend those that could not defend themselves."

"Fearing for our lives, Prince...no...King Asgore led us underground. The humans and their seven grand wizards sealed us below with a magic spell. Anybody can enter the barrier, but only beings with a powerful soul can leave it. There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to that of seven human souls attacks the barrier, it would be destroyed. But this cursed place has no entrances, or exits. We will remain trapped down here forever."

Frisk shivered at the ominous writing. "That's not possible...no way it happened like that!"

Another familiar voice spoke up behind him. "Like it or not, it's true." Frisk turned around and looked down, Flowey staring back at him. Frisk shook his head.

"That's not how we were taught. We were taught that it was the monsters that first attacked, and we pushed back to make sure you couldn't attack us again!"

Flowey scoffed. "You believed it? Friend, let me break the truth to you. Winners write history. Not the losers. Your kind almost wiped us out entirely. If they hadn't chosen to seal us underground and instead kept pushing, they _would_ have."

Frisk didn't want to believe it, but Flowey's suddenly serious expression told him he wasn't joking. He turned around, looking at the writing once again. "I can't believe it...why? Why would we...do something like this?"

Flowey's response was neutral. "You tell me." Frisk turned around again, but the flower was gone. With a shiver, Frisk continued on. Sans met up with him further down the trail. The skeleton was able to tell exactly what was bothering Frisk.

"The truth kinda sucks, doesn't it?"

Frisk nodded. "Yeah...it does…"

Sans sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to talk to you about something important. Have you ever seen a...talking golden flower by any chance?"

Frisk frowned and was cautious in his answer. "I've heard of him...why?"

Sans's expression was dark. "So you've heard about him. Good. A few months ago Paps came home, saying he made a new friend. A golden flower that spoke to him. Now, this flower is...tricky. It would offer him advice, encouragement...predictions…"

Frisk tipped his head. "Predictions?"

Sans nodded. "About what would happen in the future."

Frisk shrugged. "What's so bad about that? Anybody can make predictions like that, I've seen it on the surface. It's not that uncommon."

Sans's expression was still unchanging. "His predictions...no matter how far or how soon in the future, no matter if they were good or bad...they always. _Always_...came true."

Frisk slowly nodded. "Oh…"

The skeleton grunted. "I've had my share of run-ins with him. Just trust me when I say to stay away from him. He likes to play 'games' like he's doing with Paps. Don't let him get in your head. Alright?"

Frisk nodded again. "Yeah...yeah. Sure."

Sans seemed to cheer up immediately. "Great! Welp, this is where I get off. I've got two naps I need to take yet. But don't worry, I'll keep an eye socket out for ya." Frisk watched as he walked directly towards a cliff face. He blinked once, then Sans was gone. He quickly spun around, looking around. A shiver ran down his spine. He set off once again.

As he rounded a bend, he noticed water dripping down from above, almost like rain. He grabbed an umbrella from a bin close by full of them, pulling it up as he began to walk, the trail gradually getting more muddy. Still, it wasn't enough to slow him down. As he walked, a voice called out from an enclave. Looking left, he saw the same kid from earlier.

"Yo! You've got an umbrella? I was just walking this way, mind if I join you?"

Frisk couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, sure!" The child ran over, staying under the umbrella with Frisk as they walked on. There was silence for a few moments before the child spoke.

"Man, Undyne is soooooo cool! If I was a human, I'd wet the bed every night."

Frisk glanced over, then nodded. "Mhm…"

There was more silence for all of two minutes. "So, one time, we had a school project where we had to take care of a flower."

"Oh?"

"Yeah! The king, we called him Mr. Dreemurr, came to school to donate his own flowers. He ended up teaching us about responsibility and stuff. And that got me thinking...how cool would it be if Undyne came to school?! She could beat up _all_ the teachers!"

Frisk didn't respond, only continuing to walk. The kid then frowned.

"No, she wouldn't do that. She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person."

Frisk glanced over at him again unnervingly, then continued to walk. Soon they came to a ledge neither of them could reach. The kid thought for a moment, then crouched down.

"Yo! Get on my shoulder. I'll give you a boost!" Frisk arched an eyebrow, then managed to find his shoulder, grunting as he heaved himself up onto the ledge. The kid then stood up.

"Don't worry about me, I always find a way to get through!" He turned around, beginning to run away, then tripped onto his face. He immediately pulled himself up with a quick "I'm okay!" and took off running again. Frisk pulled down the umbrella, depositing it in the bin.

As he pressed on, the rumble of the water slowly faded, leaving him alone with his thoughts, and the tiny echo of his footsteps. A sudden nagging feeling brought him to a stop. He turned around, and on the wall was a grey door that was not there a few seconds earlier. He wasn't sure what it was, but something seemed to be pulling him to it, calling him to it. He opened the door, stepping in.

The room was completely grey with no features of any kind. In the middle was what looked like a monster's face, a black gooey body beneath. The monster's face reminded him of the two skeletons from the village, though this one looked distorted and misshapen. Two cracks ran along its face. One moving up from its right eye, and one moving down from its left.

"Hello?" Frisk asked the creature timidly. There was no response. Not even the slightest movement. The monster was eerily still as Frisk approached it. Another look and Frisk could see the monster's eyes were both closed. He reached out and tapped it on the shoulder.

Immediately the monsters eyes shot open, and a loud sound screeched out from it. It sounded almost like television static and morse code combined. Startled, Frisk stumbled back and tripped, falling onto his back and out of the room. When he looked up, the door was gone, only the cliff face replacing it as it had once been. Frisk took a moment to let his heart slowly calm itself. He then pushed himself to his feet.

"What was that…" He wasn't sure why he asked the question aloud, there was nobody around to give him an answer. He continued to walk, eventually coming across a long bridge crossing a ravine. Glancing down, Frisk held onto the railing on the bridge, beginning to walk across. He tried not to look down, taking deep breaths.

He suddenly heard the sound of something pulsing from above him. He looked up just in time to see a blue spear come hurtling towards him. He ducked low, and the spear slammed into the wooden bridge beside him. Almost immediately the section gave way, and a terrified scream echoed around the ravine as he plummeted to the ground below.


	6. The Deadly Friend

Frisk's eyes blinked open, wondering why he hadn't hit the ground yet. He gazed around, seeing nothing but a black void. He tried to step forward, but his feet touched nothing. He gazed around, mystified at his surroundings. It seemed he was back in the same void he had dreamt of in Toriel's home. Sure enough, a few moments later the whispers began. They grew more insistent with every passing second.

Then, the voices suddenly ceased. Frisk looked around, wondering where the strange voices had gone, and saw a golden light resembling a small star.

"Whoa…" Frisk reached out cautiously towards the star. As he touched it, the star dissolved, word appearing in its place. "Reset." Two more words appeared on either side of it. "Yes, no." Frisk frowned. He slowly began to reach towards "Yes." As his hand grew closer, the whispers returned, growing louder and louder. The silence was almost instant as he touched the word. Only one voice remained.

"It sounded like it came over here...oh! You've fallen down, haven't you? Here, get up. Really? That's a nice name. My name is…" Before the mysterious voice could say his name, Frisk suddenly saw the cliffs of waterfall as he fell onto the dirt pathway. Immediately he dropped down to all fours, gasping. He clutched his forehead, pain throbbing in his skull.

He slowly pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head as the pain began to subside. Looking ahead, he saw the bridge he had just fallen through. He blinked twice and squinted hard at the bridge. The two planks he had fallen through when the spear struck were both intact, as if they hadn't been touched at all. Frisk was mystified.

"How...what...what just happened...I fell! I fell down there! Now I'm...what?!" He slowly walked towards the bridge, cautiously stepping onto it. Glancing around, he saw nothing. Slowly he began to progress across the bridge. The second he reached the two planks he had fallen through last time, he heard a pulse. He dove forward. The spear slammed into the same wooden planks, sending them falling down. Frisk's head jerked left. He spotted the armor clad figure glaring down at him from the high cliff face.

Without further hesitation, Undyne summoned another spear. Frisk scrambled to his feet. He began sprinting down the bridge. The spear missed by less than an inch. Another struck the wood behind him. He reached the end of the bridge, and dove into the overgrown grass just off the path.

He flattened himself to the ground, covering his mouth with a hand to muffle his rapid breathing as metal footsteps approached. The grass rustled as the figure entered the same tuft of grass. He didn't dare move. Suddenly one of the figure's feet came down beside his head. His eyes widened. He swore that Undyne should have heard his heart pounding. The figure reached a hand out and thrust it down into the grass. She lifted something up that Frisk couldn't see, and immediately put it back down, grumbling.

"Squirrely little devil...maybe he's trying to double back." She turned around, stalking away. Frisk continued to stay perfectly still for nearly five minutes afterward before he stood up, letting himself breath.

He stood up, rejoining the main path. He began quickly walking away, and then the same kid from earlier appeared from the grass, running up beside him trying to keep up.

"Did you see that? Undyne...just..._TOUCHED ME!_ I am _never_ washing my face again. Come on! If we hurry we can see her again!" Frisk wasn't sure what to think of that, but seeing no other pathway forward he pressed on.

* * *

Two hours came and went. He didn't see anything of Undyne, though he certainly wasn't complaining about it. As he pressed on, he saw a head pop out of the ground ahead of him. He stopped by the flower.

"Hey, Flowey."

He blinked, gazing up at Frisk. "Heya pal! How goes the journey?"

Frisk shrugged. "It's...eventful."

Flowey giggled. "I bet! I see you made it back from the reset alright."

Frisk frowned. "What do you mean?"

The flower smirked. "You know what I mean. The reset. You died and came back!"

Frisk suddenly understood what he was talking about. "Oh...that...how did you find out about it?"

Flowey never stopped giggling. "Oh, I know about a lot of things, silly! You cheating death is only one of many, hehe! Don'tcha worry, you'll get used to it. The first one or two are always disorientating."

Frisk was beginning to get unnerved by Flowey's words. "How do you know that?"

Flowey rolled his eyes. "Oh it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we can work together on your journey!"

Frisk shook his head. "I'll be fine on my own, thank you." He began to walk on. Flowey reappeared right in front of him again, a questioning look on his face.

"What's wrong, friend?"

Frisk glanced down at him. "I've had a couple people telling me you're bad news is all."

Flowey's smile faded. "What, you believe those idiots? They don't know anything. Not like you and I do. We can be better than them. You just need to trust me."

Frisk shook his head. "I don't know, Flowey, from the way you're acting I think they might have a point."

Flowey's voice immediately grew cold. "Fine...if you don't want to be my friend...I suppose we'll have to play a different game." A vine shot out from the ground behind Frisk, sweeping his legs out. He yelped, landing on the ground in front of Flowey. As he looked up, he saw Flowey was still grinning, mocking. His face became more distorted as he cackled.

"You think you can just choose what goes on in the world?! No...nobody really gets to choose what happens. Except _me_! I am destined to be the _god_ of this pitiful world. And I will destroy anybody..._anybody_ that dares to get in my way!"

Frisk scrambled to his feet, breaking into a run. Flowey shrieked after him. "You can run as much as you want, '_friend_'! But you can never hide from fate! Soon you will see...soon you will _all_ see what _true power_ looks like! Run now while you still can in this game of mine. For soon, the game shall end, and I will emerge victorious!" He continued to run away from the evil laughter behind him, rounding the bend. He bent over, hands on his knees as he panted, before sprinting on.

He took every twist and turn he could, trying to put as much distance between himself and Flowey. He soon found himself at a dead end in one of the caverns. He turned around to find another way, but he froze as he saw Undyne blocking his path. She took a step toward him. Frisk stood up straight, glaring at her. He called out.

"What do you want from me?! I haven't done anything wrong!" The monster was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"Seven. Seven human souls. With this power, our king...Asgore Dreemurr...will become a god. With that power, his majesty can finally shatter the barrier. He will take back the surface from humanity, and give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured. Do you understand, human? This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your soul...or I'll tear it from your body."

Frisk gulped, then remembered Flowey just telling him about his ability to come back from the dead. A plan hatched in his mind. If he would die here...he could come back, and find a different path to avoid her. He stared her straight in the eye.

"You want my soul? You'll have to come and take it."

Undyne chuckled, then took a battle stance. "So be it." A spear appeared in her hands. She charged at Frisk. He closed his eyes, preparing for the pain. The grass beside them rustled, and the monster child from before jumped between them, yelling enthusiastically.

"Undyne! I'll help you fight!" They both looked down to the child who looked between them. "...Wait...who's she fighting?"

Frisk stared in amazement at the kid, thinking to himself. "_Is he really that clueless?"_ He looked up at Undyne, giving his head a tiny shake. Not in front of the kid. Undyne grunted, the spear dissolving. She grabbed onto the kid's ear, beginning to pull him away.

"Ow, hey!" The kid yelped as he was pulled along. "You're not gonna tell my parents about this, are you?" Frisk glanced down at an echo flower beside him, echoing the question. Once Undyne and the kid were out of sight, he ducked into the grass where the monster kid had appeared from, once more on the run.


	7. Undyne

Frisk emerged from the grass on another of the slightly overgrown trails. Dusting himself off, he set off down the path. Not fifteen minutes had passed before he heard the familiar voice pipe up behind him.

"Yo!"

Frisk gave a heavy sigh, turning around. He was going to speak, but then he saw the monster kid's cheerful look was gone. The kid looked out of breath as he spoke.

"I...man, I never thought I'd have to ask this...but...you're...a human. Right?"

Frisk was hesitant, but nodded. "Yeah. I am."

The kid looked amazed as he looked him over. "Wow...man, I've never seen a human before! Undyne told me to uh...stay away from you. So...I guess this like...makes us enemies now, right?"

Frisk shrugged. "I...don't know how things are down here. But, we don't have to be enemies. We can always just...be friends, you know." He chuckled. "You seem nice enough."

The kid's grin returned. "You seem pretty alright, too. I think I'd like that."

Frisk nodded. "Good. Well, I guess I'll see you around then, right?"

The kid nodded. "Yeah! See you later!" He turned around, walking back the way he had come. Frisk meanwhile continued travelling east, hoping to reach the barrier by nightfall. He could feel the heat gradually increasing as he approached a soft orange glow visible in the distance. As he approached a ridge though, a voice spoke from above him.

"Seven."

Frisk stared up at Undyne as she stood on top of the ridge, shaking his head. "_Does she ever give up?"_ She continued to speak.

"Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That is how many we have collected so far. Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed. Your time for running is over, human. It is time for you to _face me!_" She grabbed the sides of her helmet, lifting it off of her head. She leapt down from the ridge, and Frisk was able to properly see her face.

She appeared to resemble a sort of fish, her red hair tied back behind her head in a long ponytail. She somehow didn't look as threatening, but that changed when a spear appeared in her hand. She sneered.

"Unlike you humans...I do believe in honor. With you being the final human we require...I will make this fight more...entertaining."

In her left hand, a shield was summoned. She tossed it to Frisk. He had just managed to catch it when immediately she lunged at him. Frisk raised the shield up above his head. The spear slammed into it. The point of the spear pierced through, nearly hitting his head.

She jumped back, and Frisk steadied himself, readying himself. Two more spears were thrown towards him. He used the shield to deflect one aside. He tucked himself down, rolling away from the other, but before he got up, a small circle appeared beneath him. A spear shot up, impaling him through the chest.

Immediately he was whisked back into the black void. He gasped, clutching at his chest, shocked when he felt no blood, and no pain. Once more, the three words hovered in front of him. "Reset? Yes, no." Frisk huffed, and placed his hand on the word 'yes.' He landed on his feet, just in time to see Undyne leap down from the ridge. She barked at him.

"Unlike you humans...I do believe in honor. With you being the final human we require...I will make this fight more...entertaining."

Frisk couldn't stop to think about the reset. Flowey was right, he didn't feel dizzy this time. Stranger though, he hadn't heard the voices. But this time, he was ready. Undyne tossed him the shield. He grabbed it, immediately jumping back. Her attack dug into the dirt where he stood less than a second before.

She threw two spears at him. He deflected one away, and rolled to avoid the other. This time he jumped up and forward before the spear could stab him again. He shouted at her.

"I don't want to fight you!"

Undyne didn't answer, but simply grinned menacingly. The blows came in a flurry. Everything was happening so fast. He wasn't sure how he wasn't dead again yet. At last there was a small break in the attacks, and Frisk spotted an opening. He dove forward, clipping Undyne's ankle with the shield. She stumbled and he dropped it. It dissolved immediately as he took off running into the tunnel in the ridge. She shouted after him.

"Hey! Come back here, you little whelp!" He heard her footsteps closing in behind him. Luckily, he was more agile. He ducked fast around the right, and he heard her slow down behind him to make the turn. When he came out, the heat slammed into him at full force.

All around him he saw the orange glow. There was no more vegetation. He glanced over the side of the path, spotting menacing magma pools, but this didn't slow him down. He ran further into the blazing heat, crossing over a bridge. He heard her footsteps suddenly slowing. Undyne was struggling to cross the bridge behind him. As she reached the end she collapsed, falling unconscious from the heat.

Frisk had intended to keep running, but his feet stayed in place. He looked back at Undyne, still laying on the ground. He groaned.

"I'm going to regret this…" He knelt by her head, sliding the backpack off. He took the water bottle out and dumped its contents onto her head. A few moments later she blinked her eyes open. She put a hand to her head, groaning as she wobbled, standing up. Frisk gazed up at her. She quietly met his gaze. Grunting, she turned around, beginning to stalk away. Frisk followed after her, raising his arms indignantly.

"What, not even a thank you?!"

* * *

Frisk followed Undyne all the way back through the ridge, into the heart of Waterfall, asking questions until his voice just decided it had had enough. Undyne didn't ever acknowledge his presence as she continued to stalk along the trails. She finally turned right, heading over to what Frisk could only assume was her home. Before she opened the door, she spun around, yelling at him.

"_Why are you following me?! _What, do you want to rub it in my face that you helped me?! Go away!" Frisk was hardly fazed anymore. He raised his arms halfway up, letting them fall back to his sides.

"I'm just...trying to understand! About...well you, this king and his business about the souls, everything!"

Undyne shook her head. "You're real persistent, kid, I'll give you that." She sighed. "Come in, I'll explain everything if you're really that clueless about it all."

Frisk was slightly hesitant, but followed her inside regardless. The home was more brightly lit than he thought it would be. Frisk sat down at a table as Undyne headed to the back. When she returned she had gotten out of her armour, and now looked like just an ordinary monster. She sat down across from Frisk.

"Alright, you're here. What do you want to know?"

Frisk shrugged. "Well, I guess we should start with why you stopped attacking me."

Undyne closed her eyes. "I told you, I have a code of honor. Part of that code is to not kick an enemy when they're already down. I guess I didn't expect you to uphold that same respect. It'd be a bit of a douchey move to kill you after you saved me. In all honesty, you weren't even supposed to get far. Papyrus was supposed to apprehend you back in Snowdin. I could tell he had met you when we spoke. You were there...weren't you?"

Frisk knew she was referring to the tall grass where he had first saw her. He reluctantly nodded, then asked. "But if you knew about it, then why didn't you say anything to him?"

She shook her head. "Look, I like Papyrus and all. He's pretty funny, real kind, but dreams big. I knew he wouldn't be able to go through with it. I could tell he had become your friend, and I didn't really want to ruin that for him. He's got a hard enough time making them as it is. So I figured I'd play along and just do the job myself when he wasn't around. He's not really fit to be in the Royal Guard, so I've been giving him cooking lessons from time to time."

Frisk nodded in slow understanding. But he wasn't finished. "What about this soul stuff?"

Undyne whistled. "Oh boy, this is the long one. Alrighty. It all started long ago. Like, I mean _really_ long ago. 1845 I think it was. I wasn't born until sixty years after but everybody knows the story. The king and queen had a son, they named him Asriel. It gave hope to the Underground after we had been sealed away. Then one day, a human fell. The king and queen healed the kid, and raised her as their own. She and Asriel became best friends. But one day, the human got really sick, and she died.

"Now, there's a lot of different versions of the story, but the most common one says that the prince, racked with grief, absorbed the human's soul. He crossed over the barrier with her body to bury her in her village, but when the humans saw him, they were furious. They attacked him with everything they had. Asriel could have wiped them all out, and more. He could have gone on a rampage. But, he didn't. He carried Chara back to the Underground, and then died. Right in the throne room in Asgore and Toriel's arms.

"The king declared war on humanity, vowing to break out and pay back tenfold the suffering we had endured. After this, the queen disappeared. She's been missing ever since. And...uh...that's it. That's the story. Over the past hundred-some years we've collected six human souls. You were, well are, the seventh."

Frisk took a breath. "That's a lot to take in."

Undyne nodded. "Yeah, I imagine. Look, I owe you a big thank you for what you did in Hotland. I guess that comes with an apology huh?"

She gave a forlorn chuckle, and Frisk smiled. "Don't mention it."

Undyne stretched herself out. "Well, I guess not all humans are bad. Some of them can be pretty damn good like yourself."

Her grin immediately vanished. "Hey. I know you're going to have to fight Asgore. Whether you like it or not, you'll need to make a choice. I don't think I need to tell you what it is. All I'm going to say is...I think you're pretty cool. You look the part at least. Don't give me a reason to prove myself wrong. Capiche?"

Frisk nodded, standing up. "Yeah, capiche. I'll...see you around, I guess." He then let himself out of the house, leaving Undyne to reflect. Sighing, he set out once more, heading for Hotland. Still, her words echoed around his mind. She was right. He knew exactly what choice he'd have to make. He worked over in his head ways to reason with Asgore. Despite everything, he was still determined to get home. He didn't want to kill anybody. He wanted everyone to survive, and hopefully escape. But if it came down to someone needing to die...it wasn't going to be him.


	8. The Final Leg

Frisk huffed as he trekked along the trails of Hotland. He could see the heat rising around from the magma pools and chambers littered around the region. Every so often he would come across a small pipe poking up from the chambers off the trail, steam blowing out of them on regular intervals, but he had no idea what they could possibly for.

Eventually, he spotted a white building sitting alone in the middle of the trail. Curious what it was doing so out of the way, Frisk approached the white building. He knocked on the door and looked up at the building. Hearing no answer, he pushed a button beside the door, taking a startled step back as it suddenly slid open. The lights had been turned off as Frisk cautiously stepped inside.

"Hello?" He called out, to no response. He let himself further in, sighing with relief as the air conditioning breathed over him. As he proceeded further in, he spotted a screen mounted on a wall close by. Looking over to it he saw the back of his head on the screen. He slowly outstretched his right hand, waving it around. His image on the screen copied him perfectly. Frisk turned around, spying a camera on the wall staring at him.

"Weird…" Frisk mumbled to himself. His gaze shot to the right as he heard another door swish open. A figure exited the door, fumbling around along the wall before finding a lightswitch, turning it on, allowing Frisk to get a good look at the monster. It seemed to resemble a small yellow dinosaur, with spikes along the back of its head going down its spine. It was wearing a white lab coat. When the monster saw him, it looked surprised and flustered to see him. As it spoke, Frisk discovered it was a female.

"O-Oh! Oh my goodness, y-you're here! B-But, I'm h-hardly dressed, the p-p-place is a mess, I-I've hardly showered…" Realizing she was about to start rambling, she smiled nervously. "S-Sorry, where a-are my manners...my name i-is Alphys."

Frisk found himself amused by her reaction, and grinned. "Hey Alphys, my name's Frisk."

Alphys held a hand out timidly. "P-P-Pleasure to meet y-you."

Frisk shook Alphys's hand. "Nice to meet you too." He then noticed a name badge on the lab coat. "What's the coat for?"

Alphys glanced down at her badge. "O-Oh! I'm...t-the royal scientist for King Asgore."

Frisk was immediately more wary. "I...see...this is the same king that wants be dead, right?"

Alphys shuffled her feet nervously. "W-Well...yes...b-but, I'm not one of the b-bad guys! I've been w-watching your journey t-throughout the Underground on c-cameras I've got s-s-set up!"

She pointed to the screen. Frisk wasn't quite sure how to feel about the news he was being watched throughout his journey from Snowdin. "Uh huh...alright then…"

Alphys continued. "I-I want to h-help you. I know t-the route to N-New Home where the p-p-palace is l-located. H-Hotland's trails c-can be somewhat c-confusing, but using my knowledge, I-I can guide you through!"

Frisk nodded thoughtfully. "That'd be nice actually, thanks!"

Alphys looked gleeful at his acceptance of her assistance. "Great! L-Let's get going then!" She led the way to a second door on the opposite end. It slid open, letting them back out into the heat. Frisk glanced back at the lab.

"So, royal scientist huh? Must be a tough job."

He noticed Alphys hesitate. "It...has i-it's moments. B-But, it's nothing that I c-c-can't handle." Frisk nodded thoughtfully, though he continued to keep their conversation moving.

"How long have you been in this job for?"

Alphys sighed. "Several hundred years."

Frisk stopped dead in his tracks. "Several hund...how is that possible?!"

Alphys glanced to him as if it was a stupid question. "W-Well, most m-monsters live significantly l-longer than humans do. In fact, King Asgore i-is a Capri-Bovarian. T-They actually s-stop aging unless they have c-children."

Frisk was puzzled. "Why is that?"

Alphys paused, looking thoughtful. She then continued walking as she answered. "I don't know a-actually! I suppose its j-just always been t-that way. I n-never put any thought i-into it."

He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets as he continued walking beside Alphys. Another thought crossed his mind from earlier in his journey.

"Hey, I came across something strange back in, Waterfall was it? I was wondering if maybe you knew anything about it?"

Alphys looked eager to answer his question. "I'll see w-what I can do!"

Frisk began to explain the strange situation. "There was some weird grey door that just showed up. Completely out of nowhere. Inside I saw what I think was a monster."

Alphys frowned. "This g-grey door just appeared? Forgive me b-but I find t-that a little hard t-t-to believe."

Frisk continued. "Well, the monster was like a monster but...it wasn't...normal. You know?"

Alphys had an apologetic look. "I-I'm afraid you'll need t-to be more s-specific."

Frisk tried to explain accurately what he had seen. Strangely though, he was having trouble remembering a majority of it, as if it had happened over a week ago instead of just hours.

"Uh...it was really gooey, I remember that much. Black, but it was kind of solid, holding itself together. Only thing really resembling a body was the head. It looked like a skeleton skull. I think it had two scratches on it, one going up from one eye and one down from the other. That's...all I can really remember about it."

He glanced right and discovered that Alphys was no longer beside him. He glanced behind himself, seeing Alphys standing just a few paces behind him, her nervous and cheery look gone. It was replaced with one of anxious seriousness. Frisk tipped his head.

"Alphys?"

His call snapped her from her trance. "O-Oh! Sorry, I was j-just thinking about something."

Frisk replied. "It's alright. You wouldn't happen to know of that particular monster, would you?"

Alphys shook her head quickly. "N-No, no idea." He noticed she began to quickly pick up the pace. Seeing her nervousness, he allowed for her to change the subject. They continued to chat as the walk progressed on, the conversation grew more cheerful and more casual. Soon, they were talking as if they were old friends.

As the conversation progressed, he noticed Alphys's stutter growing less severe, sometimes vanishing completely. Nearly an hour and a half had passed before Frisk spotted a large structure off the trail. He pointed towards it.

"Hey, what's that over there?"

Alphys followed his finger, grinning broadly. "Oh! That's the CORE! It's a machine designed to deliver power t-to the entire Underground!"

Frisk whistled. "So, that thing gives electricity to every monster down here?"

Alphys nodded, looking proud of it. "Sure does! I-It was constructed only t-thirty years after we were sealed underground. I-I've taken the liberty of making i-it a much more efficient a-and automated system!"

Frisk stopped walking, marvelling at the metal giant. "How does it work?"

Alphys launched immediately into a long-winded explanation. "Oh! Well it works by using geothermal and steam energy in what is called a rankine system. Water is piped in from Waterfall, and is turned into steam using the heat from Hotland and the magma pools underneath it. The steam enters powerful turbines which converts it into energy! Excess steam is ejected out through the pipes in Hotland. The process is quite fascinating and if we were to get into the finer details…" She continued to ramble on, stopping nearly ten minutes later in utter embarrassment when she realized exactly what she was doing. Her stutter returned.

"I-I'm sorry...I-I don't get to talk to people a w-whole lot…"

Frisk laughed. "Hey, don't sweat it! You're pretty cool to talk to. You certainly seem to know what you're doing as well. Did you design it?"

Alphys shook her head. "I wish I did. A-Actually though, it was d-designed by the royal scientist before m-me. He also o-oversaw its construction."

Frisk was curious once more. "Oh? Who was he?"

Alphys sighed, almost longingly. "His n-name was Doctor Wing Ding Gaster. H-He was one of the smartest monsters to e-ever live. I was his i-intern for a while."

"His name _was_ Doctor Gaster?"

Alphys nodded, her smile disappearing. "Y-Yes. He...d-died in an...an accident."

Frisk's smile also disappeared. "Oh. I'm...sorry to hear that."

Alphys huffed. "I-It's alright. W-W-We all have t-to move on, right?" They were both silent for some time. Eventually it was Alphys to restore life to the conversation.

"L-Look...I...I haven't r-really felt...good about m-myself lately. I just want to d-do the right thing but...i-it just gets so hard sometimes. T-That's why I tend to l-lock myself in my lab for d-days at a time. But...helping you out and just t-talking with you...I feel l-like you're the only...real friend I-I've ever had.I j-just wanted to say thank you."

Frisk smiled warmly at her. "It's been a pleasure Alphys. You've been fun to talk to as well."

Alphys pointed down the trail. "Down the r-road is New Home. In t-the city is Asgore's palace."

Frisk nodded. "Right. So I just avoid the palace, sneak to the barrier, and then I can go home. Right?"

Alphys slowly looked to him. "N...Not exactly. T...To get through the barrier...y-you need to go through..._h-his_ palace. B-But...that's not it. T-To get through the barrier, it takes b-both a human, a-and a monster soul. Meaning...you'd...h-have to...kill him." She was already beginning to walk away. Frisk stood silent in shock, then turned around, calling after her.

"But I don't want to hurt anybody!"

He was barely able to hear her voice. "He might not give you a choice. I...I-I'm sorry." She continued to skulk away. Frisk looked back to the road, seeing New Home on the edge of his vision. He shook his head. As he set off, he kept his walking pace slow. He desperately tried to think of a way to avoid the inevitable. But much to his dismay, there was none.


	9. King Under The Mountain

Frisk continued to follow the trail down out of Hotland into the city of New Home. His feet dragged along the gravel pathway as it slowly turned to stone. He gazed around at the vast variety of monsters present, amazed there could be so many of them. As he traveled deeper into the city, he noticed several monsters staring at him with a multitude of mixed emotions.

Once he had fully descended into the city he realized he had lost sight of the palace over the roofs of the buildings, but he continued to push on. Whenever he came to a fork in the road, he took the route he thought would take him directly to the palace, but he soon found himself simply wandering in circles, the tight streets proving to be a major challenge.

He turned left into what looked like a shop to see if anybody could give him directions. Inside were several antiques and other treasures, drawing in Frisk's curiosity. It was obvious that each of the items had its own special story, but he soon spotted the shopkeep, an elderly turtle who grinned at him. Frisk walked over and the turtle spoke.

"Well, hello there, young man!"

Frisk replied. "Hello. I'm in need of some directions, if you're able to help me?"

The turtle folded his arms cheekily. "Well, I suppose it depends where you want to go!"

Frisk rubbed his arm. "I'm looking for directions to the palace."

The turtle's smile disappeared. "Ah. To go speak with King Asgore, I assume?"

Frisk nodded, though he was confused when the turtle looked almost disappointed. "Yeah, that's it. Er...is something wrong? I thought you would have been happy about that."

The monster huffed. "You're aware of what happened with the…'others'...that went there, yes?"

Frisk looked down, nodding meagerly. The monster grunted. "I thought so. You know, I want to get out of here as much as anybody else. But...it ain't right that he's killing children to do it. Y'know?"

Frisk sighed. "Yeah...I guess so. You don't like his actions?"

The monster nodded. "Indeed I don't. In fact, there are several who don't. You know, you humans did some pretty cruel things to us during the war. But with what we're doing now, I wonder...are we really any different?"

Frisk said nothing. The words dug deep into him. The turtle broke the silence. "To get to Asgore's palace, you're going to want to go out of the shop and hang a right. Take a left, go down a block, one more right, and then straight ahead."

Frisk nodded, turning for the door. "Thank you Mr…"

The turtle tipped his head. "Gerson."

Frisk smiled. "Right. Thanks, Gerson."

Before he stepped out the door, Gerson called to him one last time. "Oh, young man?"

Frisk glanced over his shoulder and the turtle nodded solemnly. "Good luck."

Frisk put on a grin of determination before leaving the store. Just outside, he saw Sans leaning against the wall across the street. He walked over to Frisk.

"Hey buddy. You got a moment just to chat?"

Wanting to delay the inevitable, Frisk nodded. "Yeah, I have a bit."

Sans chuckled. "Great. Follow me, I know a shortcut." Frisk followed Sans closely to an alleyway. When he found himself in the lobby of a hotel. Frisk looked around, still confused at the weird ability Sans seemed to have, though he didn't question it.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Sans sighed. "Your journey's almost over, huh? You must really want to go home, I guess. Hey, I know the feeling, bucko. Though...maybe it's better to take what's given to you."

Frisk tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Sans shrugged. "Well, down here you've already got food, shelter, friends, is what you have to do really worth it?"

Frisk was silent as Sans looked away for a moment, then turned back. "Ah, forgeddabout it. I'm rootin' for ya, kid. Hey...let me tell you a story."

Frisk nodded. "Alright…"

Sans sighed, cracking his back. "So I'm a sentry in the Snowdin Forest, right? I sit out there and watch for humans. It's kind of boring. Luckily, there's this _huge_ locked door that's perfect for practicing knock-knock jokes. So one day, I'm knocking 'em out, like usual. I knock on the door and say 'Knock knock.' All of a sudden, I hear a woman's voice from the other side. 'Who is there?' So naturally I responded with 'Dishes.' 'Dishes who?' she replied. Then I said 'Dishes a really bad joke.'"

Frisk couldn't help but chuckle. As bad as some of Sans's jokes could be, he could appreciate Sans being able to laugh at himself. Then Sans continued:

"She just starts howling with laughter, like it's the best joke she's heard in years. Turns out, she knew a few good jokes too. We kept telling each other jokes for hours. Eventually I had to leave, but she told me to come by again, so I did. I did it again, and again. It rules." He paused.

"One day, though, I noticed she wasn't laughing very much. I asked her what was up. Then she told me something really strange. 'If a human ever comes through this door...could you please promise me something? Watch over them, and protect them. Will you?" Frisk knew at once who this monster was.

"Now, I hate making promises. And this woman, I didn't even know her name. But...someone who is sincerely loves bad jokes has a sincerity you can't say no to…" He paused again, looking down, then slowly looked back up.

"You get what I'm saying here? That promise...do you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything? Buddy..." Sans looked down again. When he looked up, Frisk felt a chill go down his spine. The lights had once more left Sans's eyes.

"You wouldn't have made it past the forest." But before the words could sink in, the light returned.

"Ah, lighten up kid. I'm just joking." Frisk chuckled nervously, afraid he wasn't joking at all. Sans continued, "Besides, haven't I done a great job protecting you? I mean look at yourself! You haven't died a single time!" Frisk felt a shudder run down his spine as he recalled his long fall over the bridge, the spear impaling him through his stomach. Frisk felt as though he might throw up. Sans tilted his head inquisitively.

"Hey, what's that look supposed to mean? Am I wrong?" Frisk nearly went pale, realizing his slip-up. Did Sans know? If so, how much? The skeleton only shook his head, giving Frisk a pat on the shoulder.

"Listen...take care of yourself kid, 'cause some of us really care about you." He walked away, chuckling to himself. Frisk noticed it sounded sad. The conversation had been nerve-wracking; he just hoped Sans wasn't aware of what he could do. He wasn't sure what the skeleton might do if he found it out, but there were more pressing matters now.

He left the hotel's lobby and found himself just a few steps away from the front steps of the palace. Shrugging, he began to ascend them towards his fate. His footsteps echoed through the massive hallways as he progressed deeper and deeper into the large structure, and soon the sound of humming caught his ear.

He followed the sound into what he could only guess was the throne room, due to how a large throne sat in the middle. But unexpectedly, filling the room was a large garden full of beautiful golden flowers. Frisk found the source of the humming sound, a figure draped in a purple robe kneeling over the flowers, golden pauldrons gleaming on the monster's shoulders. He stopped humming as Frisk's footsteps gave him away.

"Oh, is someone there? Just one moment. I am just about finished watering these flowers."

Frisk noticed him set down a watering can, then rise from kneeling. As he turned around, Frisk realized that this was in fact, King Asgore himself. He had expected a cold, cruel beast to be sitting on the throne. He would never have expected him to look as friendly as Toriel, or to be stooped over watering flowers.

"Now! How can I…" Asgore stopped when he noticed Frisk. "...oh." The two stared awkwardly at each other, neither making a move. Asgore chuckled half-heartedly.

"I want so badly to ask, 'would you like a cup of tea?' But...you know how it is."

Frisk nodded slowly. "Yeah. I...have an idea."

The king walked to one of the windows in the throne room, looking out over the city. "It's a nice day today, is it not? The birds are singing...the flowers are blooming...a perfect day for a game of catch."

Frisk frowned. There had been no birdsong in his journey through the Underground. Frisk dared to speak: "Are...Are you...stalling for something?"

Asgore glanced over at him, then sighed. "No. Merely trying to make your last moments more...enjoyable."

Frisk nodded slowly. He had nearly forgotten this was a monster out to kill him. Asgore's voice was almost mournful. "Well, you know what we must do...if you would please follow me?"

Frisk nodded and began to follow Asgore into a room past the throne. As he exited, he noticed what looked like a second throne with a white cloth draped over it. As he hurried after the king through the tight caverns, Asgore tried to act friendly.

"I understand if you are nervous. Think of it like...a trip to the dentist. If you don't feel like you're ready, I understand." Frisk just barely heard his next quiet words. "I don't think I'm ready either…" He couldn't help but feel sorry for the king. As they walked through another passage, Frisk found himself face to face with a huge white glowing wall. It seemed to be pulsing. Despite Frisk's suspicions, Asgore explained it anyway.

"This is the barrier. It's what keeps us all trapped underground. So...this is it then." He turned around to face Frisk. "Ready?"

Frisk shook his head. "I don't want to fight you."

Asgore sighed. "I do not wish to fight you either. But in this world, we must do things we wish we did not have to. I am sorry. It was nice to meet you. I will make sure to make your end as quick and painless as possible."

His arm flashed out, a bright red trident materializing in his hand, immediately swung at Frisk. Frisk lept back, just barely out of range. The King's speed was shocking. He shot a fireball at Frisk. It slammed into the ground beside him. The explosion sent Frisk sprawling to the side.

Frisk scrambled back to his feet. He searched for a gap. As Asgore lunged again, he ducked under his arm and charged towards the barrier. When he collided, it instead sent him flying backwards with a small blast. He landed on his stomach, yelping in pain as his chin struck dirt. The prongs of the trident sank into his upper back.

He gasped fearfully as he found himself back in the void, the words already in front of him. He waited until the pain of an invisible wound faded, and pushed the 'reset' button, already imagining the halls before the throne room. He found himself landing on his feet, but this didn't last long. He found the nearest corner where he fell to his knees, proceeding to throw up. He gasped and coughed as he held his stomach.

After this, he wiped his mouth. It was clear he would not be able to fight against Asgore, nor would he be able to sneak through the barrier. He needed to find another way. He turned away from the throne room, beginning to leave the palace. If there was one person that might know how to appeal to Asgore, it'd be her. He began to walk back to Hotland.


	10. A Hidden Truth

Frisk wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead as he knocked once more on the lab door. This time, much to his surprise, it slid open almost immediately. He stretched as he entered the air conditioned laboratory in the middle of Hotland, relieved to be out of the heat.

"Alphys?!" He called out. There was no response. He suspected she was close though, as the lights were all still on. A piece of paper lay on the floor in the middle of the lab. Frisk silently cursed his curiosity as he stooped over it to take a look.

"Hello, Frisk. You probably won't ever read this, but if you do, I owe you an apology. All this stuff about me being nice to you...it's been an act. I'm not a good person. I've...I've really hurt a lot of really good people. I've just never had the courage to say anything about it. But you alone can't magically make my problems go away. I want to be a better person. I don't want to be afraid anymore. For that to happen, I have to be able to face my own mistakes. So, if you really want to know what I've done...if you want to know the truth...go through the other door in the lab. If you never see me again, you at least deserve to know what I did. I hope you can forgive me. -Alphys."

Frisk slowly looked up to the door, then back down at the note. He couldn't find it in his heart to believe what the note said. She seemed so welcoming and friendly, like a monster that wanted nothing more than what was best for everybody. Still, he found himself more intrigued than ever. He opened the door, revealing an elevator behind it. He stepped inside, noticing there was only one other floor it would take him. With a deep breath, he pushed it, waiting as the elevator began to descend.

It had hardly moved a few feet though before it jolted to a sudden halt, an alarm sounding. An automated voice blared out over a speaker in the elevator, "WARNING! WARNING! POWER GRID FAILURE! EM TETHER STABILITY LOST! EMERGENCY STOPPING SYSTEM COMPROMISED! BRACE! BRACE!"

Suddenly the elevator was plummeting again. Frisk grabbed a rail inside the elevator and screamed as it hit the floor. The door fell half open, broken by the fall. Frisk grunted, steadying himself as he stood up. Sparks shot from a wire dangling from the roof. Frisk kept low as he left the elevator before fully standing up.

The basement was pitch black. He pulled his phone from his pocket. He had never thought of using it while he was underground, assuming there would be no signal, but it still had other uses down here. He turned on its flashlight, shining it around. He was in a short hallway. There were lights in the ceiling, but they appeared to be out.

He started down the hallway. The walls looked dusty, and the tiled floor was cracked in several places. It looked as if nobody had done proper cleaning or maintenance down here in a very long time. Chunks of wall were missing revealing foundation and earth behind them. A musty smell was present everywhere.

As he walked into the next room, he saw a dozen beds, almost none of them made. Several of them were overturned, and one had been shattered. Claw marks scored down one of the walls. Mystified, Frisk pressed on, turning left. Here was a room with a few medical chairs, and what appeared to be various medical supplies littered around. Frisk came to a realization.

"This was a laboratory!" He looked around. More claw marks and damage marked the walls in what he assumed was some kind of medical experimentation room. Shaking his head, he turned back to the bedroom, then crossed to the room across from him, but before he could enter, something clattered behind him. He spun, shining the light around, but saw nothing. He shivered, knowing that he was most likely not alone.

In the next room sat a large machine resembling an animal skull. Frisk shuddered. He noticed more marks on the floor and walls, as well as on the machine, but these weren't from claws. They almost looked like permanent scorch marks from some kind of explosion. There were several pipes around the machine, all had been disconnected. Frisk was mystified.

"What happened here?" He noticed another door branching off to his right. He wandered inside. This room was much smaller, containing an old, dusty desk with several drawers. Holding his phone with one hand, he began to pull open the drawers. Most of them were empty, except for the very bottom one. Inside sat a small black book. Opening it up, he discovered it was full of journal entries. If there were answers to find, maybe they'd be here. He began to read.

"Entry 1: This is it. Time to do what Asgore has commanded of me. I will be the one to free us all. I will unleash the power of the soul.

"Entry 2: The objective of these experiments is to make a "Super Soldier." A soldier capable of being stronger, faster, and tougher than an average mortal. But to create souls artificially would take years; years that Asgore does not seem to want to wait for. So, we will have to use what we have now, the souls of monsters."

Frisk felt a shiver run down his spine as he continued to read through the entries. He paused at the fourth entry when it mentioned something called "Determination", or as whoever had written these entries had called it, the will to keep living. Frisk began to wonder if it was tied in at all to his ability to reset. The entries began to get more and more complex as they went on; it appeared there wasn't just one goal in mind. He became even more fascinated at the mention of a flower having had this "Determination" injected into it.

He began speaking to himself, "Could that be…'him'?"

His theory was confirmed when he read the thirteenth entry; "The Flower's gone." He began to wonder what else there was about Flowey he didn't know. It was all too clear though that there were many more dark secrets being harbored here. This theory was also confirmed when the entries, which had been getting progressively more optimistic, came to an abrupt end on the eighteenth entry, which only repeated 'no, no, no' over and over again.

The entries were bone chilling. He turned to leave, but found himself face-to-face with a creature right out of a nightmare. Its head tilted to one side, with a single eye. Its neck was abnormally long and with misshapen wings and equally long legs. It melted and rebuilt itself at the same time. Frisk gave a terrified scream, dropping the journal as he stumbled backwards. The creature gave an ear-piercing screech as it began to stalk closer.

"Hey! B-Back off! H-He's a f-f-friend! I-I'll f-feed you i-i-in a moment!" a familiar voice spoke to the beast. It turned around, and gave another squawk before retreating. He looked up in shock at Alphys, who helped him up. Frisk shook his head.

"I...I don't...understand…"

Alphys sighed. "I-It's...c-c-complicated...B-But...it's...i-it was never supposed to b-become like this. S-Sorry about them, b-by the way, they can get kind of c-c-cranky if they aren't f-fed. Plus with the p-power out, it's a-agitating them a little b-bit." She then noticed the journal. "O-Oh! You f-found D-Doctor G-Gaster's old journal?"

Frisk nodded, stooping low to pick it up. "Yeah...what...what happened here?"

Alphys sighed. "We...We were commanded...b-by Asgore to try a-and create super soldiers. H-He wanted an army f-for when we returned t-t-to the surface. We used monsters close t-to death for the experiments. A-At first it worked great! The subjects g-got better, and walked around! B-But...then...they...they melted together i-into those...things. Amalgamates, w-we called them. I've been t-trying ever since to reverse it."

Frisk shook his head. "Geez...but...you shouldn't feel bad about this. You were just doing what you were ordered to. And...you were trying to help people out. Don't get mad at yourself for this. And you're still trying to help people even now! You're a good person."

Alphys sighed, shaking her head. "I-I guess...why did you c-come back?"

Frisk shrugged. "I...was hoping you knew how to...appeal to Asgore. I don't want to fight him, but I don't want to die either, you know? I just want to try and find an ending where everybody is happy. Maybe if I ask him to let me go so I could find a way to get you guys out later?"

Alphys shook her head. "He would never allow it. H-He has been n-nothing short of persistent ever s-since he declared war. B-Besides! Even if he d-d-did, you would need h-his soul to leave!"

Frisk sighed. "So in other words...it's me or him."

Alphys nodded solemnly. "I-I'm afraid s-so."

Frisk nodded, looking down. "But...if it's me...then you all get to go free. Right?"

Alphys shrugged. "W-Well, theoretically, yes, b-but…" She then realized what he was implying, and shook her head. "F-Frisk! What...w-why?"

Frisk's frown increased. "Well...I don't...really have much of...anything on the surface. I don't really have a family, and my only friends dared me to come up here despite the legends of nobody coming back. So...I don't really have anybody except the friends I've made down here, you know? You've all been so nice to me it...it'd be the very least I could do after all you guys have done for me. Besides, you did all of…'this' to try and escape. You seem pretty desperate. Trust me, if it'll help you, I'm happy to do it."

Alphys's jaw dropped. She looked dumbfounded, overjoyed, and horrified all at the same time.

"I-I...I d-don't know what t-to say…"

Frisk grinned. "You don't need to say anything. Hey, could I get a hug before I go though? Seeing as we won't see each other again."

Alphys nodded and the two friends embraced. Frisk choked back a tear as he stood up straight again. "Alphys...you're really cool, alright? Don't forget that. Just be the best you can be, and people will appreciate you for it."

Alphys nodded, her bottom lip quivering. She led him through the destroyed laboratory, the two of them pausing as the lights began to flicker back on as power was restored. With the elevator destroyed, she took him to an emergency staircase leading back up. With one last farewell at the top, Frisk began to walk back to New Home, back to the palace, reflecting on what he was about to do.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_

**Want to discover the details the other journal entries contain? Go read Sole Sufferer, another chapter in the Undertale: Chronicle AU! (Assuming you haven't already.) But, if you don't want to read the whole story, you will find what you're looking for in chapters 22-25. **


	11. Your Best Friend

The fear of imminent death slowed Frisk's pace. Throughout the long walk to Asgore's palace, and even as he wandered the halls, he never stopped wondering if there was some other way. He knew full well that if Asgore killed him, he could just reset it and start over, but if he did that, he would eventually find himself face-to-face once more with the brutal king. Such a vicious cycle would wear heavily on Frisk, and he knew he lacked the strength to keep resetting forever. Every time they drained more of his energy.

So, with his mind made up, he walked back into the throne room just as Asgore finished watering his flowers. He turned around to face Frisk. "Oh."

Frisk sighed, gazing up at Asgore. "Uh...hey. Look, before you say anything, I know what you're going to do. You're going to kill me, take my soul, and free monsterkind. But, if I'm not mistaken, you don't want to. You feel like you have to. Am I right?"

Asgore was silent, but nodded solemnly. Frisk sighed. "I don't want to fight you. I'm not going to fight you. But I can't just hide forever down here either. So...I'm going to give you my soul. Willingly. Without a struggle."

Asgore was stunned. "Y...You are? Are you sure?"

Frisk took a deep breath. "I am. I'm just a kid with barely anything to show. You're a king that needs to guide his people. I get it. But, I have two conditions."

Asgore tilted his head. "Do you now?"

Frisk nodded. "Yes. The first, is that you give humanity a second chance. I've heard the stories, and yeah. We can really suck sometimes. But, things are different now! I'm forgiving you for what you did to the children, and what you're about to do to me. But...can you find it in your heart to forgive them?"

Asgore gave a heavy sigh. "You are unusually wise for someone of your age. Perhaps once we return to the surface, I can consider it."

Frisk nodded. "Good enough for me. The second...whatever...however you do it...can you make it quick?"

Asgore nodded again. "I can, and I will. Please, follow me."

Frisk could feel his heartbeat growing faster and faster as he followed Asgore out of the throne room and to the barrier. Once they both stood in front of it, Asgore spoke again.

"You know, among all the humans I have ever met...I have never met any willing to give up so much for creatures willing to do anything for their deaths. For that, you are among the most honorable people, human or monster, I have ever met."

Frisk's nod was numb. "Yeah...yeah...alright, I'm ready." Asgore turned around to face him. He saw the red trident appear in the king's hand. Frisk closed his eyes, preparing to meet his end. Then, a voice rang out from behind him.

"Asgore, stop this at once!" Frisk whirled around, opening his eyes in shock to see Toriel standing in the doorway. Asgore's mouth fell open and his eyes widened. The trident clattered to the floor and dissolved. Toriel rushed over, cupping Frisk's cheeks.

"Oh, my child! I am so sorry you had to go through this!"

Frisk was stunned. "Toriel! What are you doing here?"

Toriel giggled. "I did not think it would be right for you to come here alone. To do so would be asking you to kill Asgore, and I did not think you would be able to do it. You would try and do what you believed was right. It seems I arrived just in time."

Asgore sputtered. "T-Tori! Y-You're-"

"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr!" Toriel cut him off as she stood up, walking to Asgore, anger in her eyes.

"You pathetic whelp! If you truly wanted to free our kind, you could have crossed the barrier when you had one soul, collected six more from humans that truly deserved to die, and come back and freed everyone peacefully! But you decided you would rather wait here, hoping another human would never come; forcing our people to live miserably for years!"

Asgore was about to reply, but a frantic scrambling of feet from the corridor distracted them. Moments later, Undyne burst through the doors. "_Nobody fight each other!_ If you start without me, I swear I'll…" She froze when she spotted Toriel. Toriel giggled at Undyne.

"Hello, I am Toriel. Are you one of Frisk's friends?"

Undyne was dumbfounded. "Uh, yeah...I guess I am. Nice to meet you."

Before the conversation could progress further, Alphys hurried in as well. "W-Wait! Am I t-too late-" She gasped when she saw Toriel. "L-L-Lady Toriel! Y-Your majesty! You're a-alive!"

Toriel sighed. "Doctor Alphys I presume? I have heard some good things about you."

Alphys blushed at the compliment. Frisk glanced back at the door, sensing there were still more to come. Sure enough, Sans poked his head lazily around the door. "What'd I miss?" He was immediately bowled over by Papyrus when he shot around the corner.

"Fear not, human! The Great Papyrus and his excellent negotiating skills are here to save the day once again!" Sans groaned, picking himself up from the floor. Frisk found himself chuckling. He gazed around at everybody. "This is incredible! What are all you guys doing here?"

Undyne looked to Papyrus. "Uh, him. He came banging on my door insisting we needed to come here at once, said some big fight was going down. I can't resist a good brawl you know?"

Alphys nodded. "I-I was also told t-to come here by P-Papyrus, I w-was needed for s-something special. B-But...I'm confused, P-Papyrus...who t-told you to get us a-all here? You said it was a-a friend of yours!"

Papyrus nodded eagerly. "Yepparoo! A tiny flower told me!" Frisk felt his blood run cold and Alphys squeaked. "A-A...tiny...f-flower?" Before any of them could react, vines shot from the ground, encircling each member of the group, except for Frisk. They grunted as the vines shoved them back against the wall. Flowey popped up from the ground in front of Frisk, cackling maniacally.

"You _idiots_! While you were having your little pow-wow, I took the human souls! And now…_friend_...I'll take your soul too! And all of your friends!"

Frisk cried out. "No! You can't! You wouldn't!"

Flowey cackled. "You think I won't?! You'll just have to watch!"

Frisk felt anger begin to boil. "Why are you doing this?!"

Flowey giggled again. "Heeheehee! Don't you get it? This is all just a game! A game I have been playing for _much longer_ than you have. A game where there is only one winner, and that winner is me! I will hold victory just in front of you, and then steal it from your grasp. Over, and over, and over!" Frisk gasped as another vine wrapped around him, throwing him to the ground. Flowey's distorted voice shrieked out.

"Now watch as I gain the power I deserve, and become a god!" Frisk had to shield his eyes as a bright white light took hold, covering everything in sight. Suddenly, there was nothing. Pure silence. He opened his eyes, finding himself in a black void. He felt...hollow. As if something had been stripped away from him. In front of him stood a small goat monster, like a miniature Asgore. The goat chuckled.

"Finally...I was so tired of being a flower." He turned around to face Frisk. Frisk frowned. "Er...Flowey? Is...Is that you?"

The goat shook his head. "No, silly!" There was another flash and Frisk jumped back, into nothing. Now in front of him was a very different creature. Horns now curled around the goat's head, and his eyes now changed from white, with sclera as black as the void surrounding them and tiny slitted white pupils.

"My name is Asriel Dreemurr!" Frisk didn't have time to react before a sudden lightning bolt shot from Asriel's hands. Frisk barely ducked out of the way. Asriel chuckled.

"You know what? I don't care about destroying this world anymore. After I defeat you and take control over the entire timeline, I'm just going to reset _everything_!" He conjured a large fireball, throwing it at Frisk. He just barely managed to dodge sideways as Asriel continued monologuing.

"All your memories! Your existence! The existences of all your friends, will all be forgotten! Then, we can play this game all over again! But in the end, you will always come back to me. We will have this duel again, and you will lose. Again, and again, and again. All because you want your precious happily ever after! Well, guess what?! In this world, there's no such thing as a true 'happy ever after'!" Frisk gawked as two bizarrely designed glowing swords of light appeared in Asriel's hands. Asriel swung at Frisk, almost blindly, as one missed Frisk's shoulder by only an inch.

Asriel sneered. "You're a squirrely little devil, arentcha! Well, I've only been using a fraction of my true power. Behold!" Frisk again had to shield his eyes from the harsh flash. When he opened them, the beast in front of him no longer looked anything like a normal monster. The beast had an almost completely black body, with glowing rainbow wings. He looked like a demon. He looked… familiar.

"Behold! My true power!" Asriel's laugh was more of a frightening roar. Frisk tried to move, but found himself frozen in place.

"I can feel it...with every second you're here...you begin to slip away. Every second you're here, your friends forget you just a little bit more."

Frisk cried in pain as a fierce magic blast slammed into him. The attacks kept coming, and Frisk was helpless to stop them. Asriel growled mockingly.

"Come on! Show me what good your "Determination" is now, human!"

That was enough to push Frisk over the edge. He shouted out furiously, "_ENOUGH!_"

Asriel arched an eyebrow, glaring expectantly at him. Frisk huffed.

"I'm not going to play this game of yours Asriel! What happened to the prince I've heard about?! What happened to the prince that had a human friend, who he actually cared for?! I believe you...the _real_ you is still in there! And I will not stop until I find that you, and save you!"

Yet another flash. Frisk's mind was filled with the vision of a human lying on the cold earth of the ruins. The echo of a child's voice could be heard.

"Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you? Here! Get up! Let me help you!" He blinked, and then saw a monster child beginning to help the human up. The giggles of two children began to fill his mind as images of the two flashed through his eyes. Asriel's snarl brought him back, but he noticed it sounded distressed.

"What are you doing?!"

Frisk dragged himself back, and saw that despite his utter inability to even touch Asriel, the beast looked...hurt.

"What is this...feeling? What's happening to me?! No..._no_! I don't need _anyone_!"

Frisk groaned, struggling to persevere as another magic blast struck him. He kept his eyes down as he continued to plead.

"Asriel...I know you're in there. Come back to me! I want to see you for who you really are!"

Asriel screamed. "No! Stop it! Get away from me! I'll tear you apart!"

Frisk managed to smirk through his pain. "Then...like you said...I'll just come back...and we can do this all over again…"

Asriel breathed heavily. "Chara...do you know why I'm doing this? Why I keep fighting to keep you around?"

Frisk was instantly confused. "_Chara?"_ Then he shook his head. He couldn't let himself get distracted now. When Asriel re-opened his eyes, Frisk could see tears welling in them.

"Because you're special, Chara! You're the only one that actually understands me! You're the only one that's ever any fun to play with anymore! I'm doing this because...I care about you Chara! More than anybody else! I'm not ready for you to leave! I'm not ready to say goodbye to you again!"

Frisk let his guard down as he felt sympathy towards the other child. "Asriel…"

Asriel's voice raised again to a scream. "So please..._JUST LET ME WIN_!" He threw his hands together, unleashing a torrent of magic. Frisk brought his arms up, his only defense against the onslaught. His cries of pain were drowned out by the thunderous roar as he desperately tried to hang on. He could feel it searing through him, beginning to erase any trace of him. Suddenly, it stopped. He heard Asriel's voice tremble as the light in the room grew.

"I'm so lonely...I'm so…" When the light cleared, he saw the same monster child who had helped the human in the visions. Asriel was sobbing, his arm over his eyes as his body jerked.

"I'm so sorry!" When he realized what had happened, he stopped crying. "H-Heh...I always was a crybaby...wasn't I, Chara?"

Frisk tilted his head, still confused. Asriel's mournful smile quickly faded. "I know you aren't really Chara. She's been gone a really long time now…" Frisk couldn't help but feel sorry for Asriel. He spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry…"

Asriel looked up at him, trying to pull his grin back. "Uh...what is your name?"

Frisk returned the small smile. "My name's Frisk."

Asriel chuckled. "Frisk, huh? That's a nice name...Listen, Frisk? I' haven't felt like...this...in a really long time. I've got my own compassion back...and I can feel the love of the other souls as well! They all care about each other so much...and they care about you too."

The smile once more faded. "I...I understand if you can't forgive me. I know I really hurt you. I'd even understand it if you hate me. I put on a face...betrayed your trust...then tried to kill you...a few times actually...I acted so strange and horrible." He took a shaky breath. "I've hurt so many people! Friends, family, bystanders, there's no excuse for what I've done!"

Frisk never dropped his friendly smile. "Asriel...if there's one thing I believe, it's that everybody deserves a second chance. That includes you, no matter how bad you've been. I forgive you."

Asriel looked up. "W...What? F-Frisk...come on, y-you're going to make me cry again. Besides, even if you do forgive me, I can't keep these souls inside me. The least I can do is return them. Right? But first, there's still something I have to do." Frisk nodded solemnly, then backed up in awe as he saw Asriel reach out his arms. A low rumbling was heard as once again the room began to grow bright, though this time the light was much softer. Then, a loud thunderous crash rang out as the barrier was shattered apart. Frisk gasped as he felt his soul return to him, filling the hollow feeling inside him. Asriel came to rest on his feet. He still looked sad though.

"Frisk...without everybody's souls...I can't keep this form. I'll stop being…"myself." I'll go back to being a flower. I'll stop being able to feel love. So...it'd just be best...for both of us...if you forget about me, alright? Go be with the people who love you." Frisk looked down. He could feel his hands tightening into fists.

He walked forward and threw his arms around Asriel's neck. He heard Asriel's gasp of shock as slowly, he embraced Frisk as well. Frisk held on tighter as he found a tear running down his cheek.

"Asriel...I promise...I will never, ever forget you." Hearing this, he felt Asriel begin to sob as he pressed his face against Frisk's shoulder. Frisk rubbed his back comfortingly, trying to do everything he could to cheer him up. Gradually, Asriel's cries stopped. He sniffled.

"H...H-Ha...I...I-I don't want...to let go…"

Frisk took a shaky breath. "I know...I know…" But, both of them knew it wouldn't last. Slowly they let each other go. Asriel smiled at him, his cheeks still stained with tears. "You're going to do a great job, alright?" Frisk nodded, and Asriel waved. "Goodbye." Frisk waved goodbye as well. Before Asriel could leave though, he glanced over his shoulder. "Oh...and take care of Mom and Dad for me, alright?"

Frisk chuckled. "I will. I promise." With a final wave, Asriel turned around. Frisk gazed on as Asriel walked away into the shadows of the void.


	12. Epilogue

Frisk jolted away, laying on his back in the middle of the stone cavern. He found himself staring into the eyes of Toriel, Alphys, Undyne, the entire lot standing over him. Toriel sighed in relief.

"Oh! You are awake! Thank goodness!"

Alphys followed her up. "W-We were so worried! It felt l-like you were out f-forever!"

Undyne pushed an arm, helping him sit up. "Hey, next time you decide to take a nap?! How about you let us know about it!"

Sans chuckled. "Yeah, Paps was over here crying like a baby."

Frisk looked to Papyrus as he tried to defend himself indignantly. "What?! I did not cry! I just...had something in my eye!"

Sans nudged his brother. "What did you have in your eye?"

Papyrus sniffled. "_Tears_!" Frisk snorted and began chuckling in tired laughter, starting to push himself back up to his feet. He gazed around at all of them, wondering why they weren't remembering everything that just happened. Frisk looked around at all of them.

"What happened?"

Toriel was confused. "Frisk...we do not know what happened. There was a flower...and then...everything went white. But…"

Asgore finished her sentence. "The barrier is...gone."

Frisk scrambled to his feet, running to where the barrier stood. Sure enough, it was gone. Frisk shouted down to them.

"Come on!" They looked at each other, then began to run after Frisk. Asgore reached him first, Toriel right beside him. They froze at the cave's mouth, staring out in awe over the sprawling expanse below, the sun just beginning to touch the horizon. Frisk glanced up at Asgore, seeing a tear in his eye.

"I...I was beginning to think that...I would never see the sunshine again...feel it on my face…"

Toriel sighed happily. "It is just as beautiful as the day we left it."

Papyrus was next to join them, with Undyne scrambling up behind him. Papyrus pressed his hands to his cheekbones.

"Wowie! Everything is so...colourful! Sans, look at that big glowing ball in the sky!"

Sans chuckled. "We call that the sun bro."

Alphys breathed out in amazement beside Frisk. "The air is so much fresher out here than I could possibly fathom!" Frisk glanced over, noticing her nervous stutter was gone. Undyne gave Frisk a playful, light punch to his shoulder.

"Yo, you live up here? How can you stand it! It looks so beautiful, it's unbearable!" Frisk chuckled with Undyne as they gazed at each other. Alphys turned around, beginning to hurry back down to the Underground.

"I must get m-my equipment! I am most c-curious to test the soil up here!"

Frisk shook his head with a grin. Asgore glanced over at the skelebros and Undyne. "Do you three want to go back to the palace? I can assume you would want to spend the night on the surface, we will need camping equipment."

Sans shrugged. "Yeah sure. C'mon Paps."

Undyne stood at attention. "Of course your majesty!" SHe took off after them, leaving Frisk alone with the two goat monsters. He wondered if he should tell them about Asriel. But, he decided it might be best for that to wait. They no doubt would be overwhelmed as it was. Eventually, Toriel cleared her throat. Asgore glanced over, as if snapped out of a trance.

"Hmm?"

Toriel jerked her head back down the cave. "Don't you think you should be addressing your subjects? I'm sure they would be eager to hear this."

Asgore slapped his forehead. "Of course! I will leave you two to talk." He walked back down the passage. Toriel sighed as she gazed out over the landscape, the lights of a small town in the distance began to flicker on in the sunset. Frisk was the one to break the silence

"Are you going to return to the throne?"

Toriel shook her head. "I am not."

Frisk sighed. "I understand how you feel about him...but don't you think he deserves forgiveness?"

Toriel shook her head. "You are still a child, Frisk. There are factors to this that you could not understand. One day I will explain it further to you. But, I do not wish to return to the throne."

Frisk nodded, mumbling. "Alright…" There was further silence, broken up by a bird singing in a tree close by. Toriel looked over to Frisk.

"You must have a family to return to, do you not? I am sure they would be worried sick about you. What will you do now?"

Frisk looked down. "I...don't have a family actually."

Toriel tilted her head. "Oh?"

Frisk nodded."My parents left me when I was...very little. I've spent all my life in an orphanage. I have a few friends there, I guess, but that's about it. You were the closest thing I've had to a proper mom. So...I guess...could I stay with you?"

Toriel giggled. "You are a funny child. If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened! It's a good thing you took so long to change your mind."

Frisk chuckled as she continued. "If you have nowhere else to go, then I would be happy to care for you for as long as you need. Now come! We should help with the move as well."

Frisk walked back with Toriel underground, but not before looking back to the sun as it touched the horizon, bathing the land in a beautiful glow. How funny nature was, that it could turn the darkest of situations into beauty.

* * *

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

**So concludes another chapter of Undertale: Chronicle! I understand this story may have seemed a bit short, and there's a reason for that. Despite a slight change-up in the events, it was basically a retelling of Undertale. I didn't want to linger too long on it, seeing as we all know what happens. This was just something necessary that had to be included. Other stories in this series are going to be longer than this one, don't worry. The only exception will be just a small story about one character in particular. (You'll find out who it is soon enough!)Normally I'd also alternate between stories, but I decided to get 3 out in a row for this one because I just really wanted to get it finished.** **So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and are looking forward to the next one!**

**-Nolan J. Rempel**


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